With such high expectations, will the Mariners flourish or flounder in 2026?
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Few teams in Major League Baseball are in the rare spotlight of being considered a World Series contender, and it comes with high expectations. It's already a daunting enough task to make the postseason, but to survive and move on takes talented pitching, timely hitting, and a little bit of dumb luck. As the 2026 season is upon us, the Seattle Mariners are one of those teams, standing on the cusp of either success or failure - with very little room in between.
Based on what they showed in their 90-win season a year ago, we know the Mariners can survive the 162-game Major League marathon and win a division championship. But with fans already expecting the biggest season in team history, it begs the question: If the Seattle Mariners' season is wrapped around the sentiment that it's 'World Series or Bust,' will anything short of that be considered a failure?
Most of that will be based on perception, and it will, of course, be very subjective. Still, this franchise in general seems to have always been left as the bridesmaid, even through some of those most ridiculous turn of events at times. This year, it all feels different; it feels special. And the good news is, the 2026 Mariners are constituted to meet the measures of all their expectations.
The recent buzz around the team has mostly revolved around the Brendan Donovan trade, but the true measure of the team's success will likely be based on how the starting rotation fares. And though they will be counted on to keep the M's close in every game throughout the regular season, their biggest value will come in the postseason.
Can the Mariners match up with the top contenders?
The five-man team of Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Bryce Miller, all righthanders, can compete with any starting staff in baseball. That includes the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who loom as thebiggest shadow over any team trying to bust through and grab the Commissioner's Trophy.
Woo (15-7, ERA, fifth in AL Cy Young voting in 2025), returns as the team's emerging ace, despite battling a pectoral injury late last season. He heads a group that includes four former All-Stars, all of whom can pitch deep into games late in the year. In a short series, that's a valuable weapon to have in your arsenal.
Castillo (11-8, 3.54 ERA) is the next in line, but he has number-one starter's stuff, and he could form a potent 1-2 punch with Woo. Following that, even average performances by the rest of the rotation would likely guarantee another playoff berth. The most important thing for the group will be their health. If this unit is together and clicking when October and November roll around? The Mariners will answer all those high expectations they're facing today.
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Ryan K Boman is a freelance writer and the author of the 2023 book, Pop Music & Peanut Butter: A Collection of Essays Looking at Life with Love & Laughter. His previous work has appeared at MSN, Heavy, the Miami Herald, Screen Rant, FanSided, and Yardbarker. Follow him on X @RyanKBoman