Mariners using 2025 ALCS heartbreak as motivation for a World Series run in 2026

The Seattle Mariners started things in Spring Training the right way, defeating the San Diego Padres in the exhibition opener, 7-4. Infielder Michael Arroyo, the M's number 5 prospect, hit a home run and a double to pace the squad, as they look to return to the postseason in 2026. Most members of the team admit they are still feeling the sting of falling short in the American League Championship, but they're using it as motivationfor the upcoming campaign.

“One of the things our guys did very well last year is just being in the present moment,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, according to a recent MLB.com article. “And right now, it’s about preparing for what’s ahead of us going forward. That’s the approach we’re taking. And I think in some ways, that sting does provide some motivation. But I think with all of us, it just doesn’t do any good to dwell on. It’s time to keep pushing for what’s ahead.”

Raleigh, coming off a season when he hit 60 home runs and finished second in the AL Most Valuable Player voting (behind Yankees outfielder and three-time winner Aaron Judge), looks even more determined than before. It seems the taste of success that Seattle sipped on in 2025 wasn't quite enough to savor. The veteran backstop said his team has been waiting long enough to win a World Series. To paraphrase a classic 1989 song by Queen: They want it all, and they want it now.

Raleigh says he spent some time with Wilson during the offseason, as the two bonded over watching another Emerald City franchise achieve their ultimate goal.

“We’ve been close for a while,” said Raleigh, who invited Wilson to multiple Seahawks games. The catcher was fully supportive of his team's Emerald City neighbors during their Super Bowl run. “So it just feels normal. It’s not weird or anything. You feel like you’re bringing your dad. ... We’ve become very close.”

Mariners have bonded over their common goal

Raleigh at Spring Training — Feb 12, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; A fan waits for Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) to sign an autograph at Seattle Mariners workouts in Peoria, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

After being forced to sit back and watch the Toronto Blue Jays represent the American League in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Dodgers, fans in Seattle were sick to their stomach. That same sentiment was shared by the Mariners' players and Dan Wilson. Following a sensational September, nearly everyone in, around, or following the squad in 2025 thought they were destined to reach the Fall Classic.

“We're all hurt from last year,” Raleigh further discussed, speaking for the vast majority of the M's holdovers. “But you take that and use it as fuel... We want to be a perennial team where making the playoffs is just an afterthought in a way. We want to be there every year. We want to be competing for the World Series, winning the World Series, and that's the expectation we want to have.”