The American League West has officially entered the history books as one of the most abysmal divisions in MLB history, and our Seattle Mariners finished their season five games back of the 80-win Houston Astros.
This AL West Class of ’26 Is a Historic Dud
Seriously, Seattle, the numbers from this division are wild. The AL West has earned the dubious distinction of being among the worst divisions in MLB history. Just look at the collective run differential: entering Sunday, the five teams in our division collectively sported a minus-469. By the time it all wrapped, the overall collective run differential was a staggering minus-467. To put that in perspective, the 2005 San Diego Padres held the record for the fewest wins by a division champion in the wild-card era, finishing at 82-80. Our own Houston Astros, with their 80-81 record, just officially undercut that. Oh, and the 2005 NL West holds the record for the worst collective run differential since MLB moved to five-team divisions, at minus-490, and our AL West was literally right on its heels. That’s a low bar, folks.
The Astros Limped In, Where Do Our M’s Stand?
So, yes, the Houston Astros clinched the AL West title and their postseason spot. It happened officially when the Texas Rangers dropped a 6-4 game to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Sure, it wasn’t always pretty. They actually missed the playoffs last year, their first time out since 2016. But they are in. And even with that 80-81 record, they roll into the playoffs with some serious individual talent. Yordan Alvarez is arguably the best hitter in MLB and a presumptive AL MVP frontrunner. Guys like Jeremy Peña, Yainer Diaz, Isaac Paredes, and Jose Altuve provide quality depth around Alvarez in that lineup. Hunter Brown could’ve been an AL Cy Young contender if he hadn’t missed so much time early. Peter Lambert’s been solid after spending last year in Japan, and Josh Hader still rocks a ridiculous 1.01 ERA as arguably the best closer in baseball. They’re clearly hoping to follow the path of the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, who only won 84 games in the regular season but still managed to sweep their way through the first two rounds en route to reaching the World Series.
But what about our beloved M’s in all this? With a division proving just how historically low the talent pool can get, our Seattle Mariners finished the season with a 76-85 record. That puts them a full five games behind those 80-win Astros for the division title. We know Cal Raleigh behind the plate and Julio Rodriguez patrolling center field are foundational pieces. But clearly, there’s work to be done when a division champ limps into the playoffs with that record, and we’re still this far back in the standings.
What’s Next After This Regular Season Wraps?
The regular season is officially wrapped up, Seattle, and while the AL West goes down in history for all the wrong reasons, the Astros are now off to the postseason. For us, the Emerald City faithful, it means looking ahead to next year. With a division that proved just how low the bar can actually get, and our Mariners finishing at 76-85, a full five games out, it’s clear the landscape offers massive opportunities. The big question for all of us is: how do we close that gap? What moves are coming to make sure our M’s aren’t just watching from the sidelines next year, especially when the division winner has such a modest record? Let’s go M’s, we believe!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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