Despite Being Denied the AL Pennant, the Mariners Still Had a Magical Season
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When a team reaches the success level of the 2025 Mariners, only to fall short? It becomes hard to explain. While some players, Seattle staff, and their adoring fan base are grieving, there are many others who are already looking back at the season fondly. And along with the sting of being only eight outs away from the franchise's first-ever World Series appearance, there are plenty of positives that go hand-in-hand with the hurt feelings over their Game 7 loss.
In the locker room, there were no fingers being pointed or anger among teammates. Instead, the immediate aftermath was melancholy, with every member of the M's trying to put it all into fingers were beingnto perspective.
“I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure," catcher and AL MVP contender Cal Raleigh said immediately after the team was eliminated. "What we expected was to get to the World Series and win a World Series. That’s what the bar is and the standard is, and that’s what we want to hold ourselves accountable to.”
“For me, if I'm going down for the year, it's gonna be [Bryan] Woo - my top starter, or [Andrés] Muñoz on the mound... my top reliever.”
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 21, 2025
DeRo does a deep dive into Dan Wilson's bullpen management in Game 7. pic.twitter.com/NdLjO7AzAz
15-game winner Bryan Woo, who dealt with a pectoral injury that limited his availability in the postseason to just two relief appearances, echoed the same emotions as Raleigh. While the players almost begrudgingly acknowledge that they had a terrific run in 2025, failing to reach their final goal was heartbreaking.
“I don’t really think you can put a word on it," Woo stated. "Frustration... Sad for all the guys. Being together with a group for as long as we are and everyone working towards one goal, for it to end like this, it’s heartbreaking to say the least.”
The Mariners Caught the Attention of America
After spending much of the season hovering just above the .500 mark, the Mariners fired up in September, at one point winning 15 of 16 games. They knocked out the team that has dominated their division, the Houston Astros. And the offensive assault that Cal Raleigh unleashed had the baseball world watching. At one point, the team was being picked by many experts to not just make the World Series, but win it all.
“I think all of us now have had a taste of how close we can get and how good this team can be, Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. "So I think once you get that, that’s what you’re shooting for again the next year, and I know that will continue to be the goal. That was the goal this year. It will continue to be the goal, is to get to that final step, and you know, this year we were one game short.”
All class: Managers John Schneider of the @BlueJays and Dan Wilson of the @Mariners put a bow on a memorable #ALCS following Game Seven. pic.twitter.com/ioG5XRhC6G
— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) October 21, 2025
“We came far, we did our best,” Suárez said. “We have to feel proud, we have to feel happy. This season was very special for everyone involved in this organization. This is not the end. I feel like the future for this organization is huge. We have to feel comfort (in that)."
"We have to now go home, think about it, deal with it, then turn the page quickly. It’s going to be there for a long time, but it’s time to go home, it’s time to rest, it’s time to prepare yourself for next year. Be a dad, be a husband, and be a good person outside, too.
At the end of the day, however, Suarez really summed up the Seattle season for what it truly was.
“This is going to be in our memory forever," the third baseman stated proudly.
"This season was special.”
