"On paper, it feels like Seattle has a great chance to win the division in back-to-back years, something the franchise has never managed in their history. (Their only consecutive playoff appearances came in 2000-2001, thanks to the 116-win campaign in the latter year. The Mariners have this bizarre thing where, in their history, they've had ten different seasons with 85+ wins and no playoff berth; they've only had five seasons with 85+ wins and a playoff berth.)"
"The rotation was fine last year and looks pretty good heading into 2026. Josh Naylor is back on a big-money $92.5 million, five-year deal. The eventual Brendan Donovan transaction saw him make his way to Seattle, and Jose Ferrer cost a big-time prospect but will now pair with Gabe Speier as another lefty option in their bullpen."
"Cal Raleigh can pull off an encore season remains a question, but he's projected to be the top catcher in the game in 2026. Julio Rodriguez has generally been a monster despite complaints about consistency, and gives the Mariners the best center field projection in MLB as well."
The AL West presents significant intrigue following the Astros' failure to win the division last year and their first playoff miss since 2016. The Mariners emerge as the division favorites with one of the better AL projections overall. Seattle made notable offseason moves including signing Josh Naylor to a $92.5 million deal, acquiring Brendan Donovan, and adding Jose Ferrer to strengthen their bullpen. The rotation remains solid, and key position players like Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez project among baseball's best at their positions. Concerns exist around shortstop with J.P. Crawford dealing with shoulder issues and defensive struggles. The Mariners seek back-to-back division titles, something the franchise has never achieved despite their history of competitive seasons.
#al-west-division #seattle-mariners #2026-mlb-projections #offseason-roster-moves #division-title-race
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