The 2026 Mariners didn’t make the playoffs. We all know it, we lived it, and honestly, the stress of last fall’s postseason run for other teams almost made me glad for the break. Almost. But let’s be real, watching these playoff rounds just got me thinking: what if our unbelievably injured and under-performing squad had somehow stumbled into October? Because yeah, this season was a tough one, full of devastating injuries and a general under-performance that left us all shaking our heads.
A Losing Record, an AL West Crown, and a Couple of Bright Spots
Imagine a world where the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros just absolutely imploded in September. We’re talking 85% of their games lost. An absurd collapse, right? But if that happened, our Mariners would have fallen ass-backwards into the AL West title, even with a losing record. Crazy to think about, but hey, that’s baseball sometimes. The team wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders, but we did have moments. Cal Raleigh was finally, *finally*, hitting like the catcher we know he can be, hitting like a real version of his past self. And we saw flashes of brilliance, like when Julio Rodríguez was celebrating a two-run home run at T-Mobile Park back on September 26, giving us those glimpses of what could be.
Our Pitching and the Pure Madness of October Baseball
So, the pitching. What can you say about it? Uhh, the pitchers would be there, too. Yep. They would throw some pitches, all right. Let’s just say it’s tough to picture a deep playoff run with that kind of pitching performance, even with Cal Raleigh finally connecting and Julio doing his thing. But here’s the kicker: baseball is weird. Playoff baseball is even weirder, more cruel, and downright unusual. Who’s to say what kind of absolute chaos our Mariners could have caused if they somehow backed into the postseason? A team winning the AL West with a losing record, then going on some kind of bizarre run? It sounds like something only the Emerald City could conjure up.
So, here’s the burning question for all you M’s faithful out there: if the 2026 Seattle Mariners actually made the playoffs, what would have happened? Would it have been a quick Wild Card round exit? Did we somehow win the Wild Card and then get bounced in the ALDS? Could we have gone further, making it to the ALCS or even the World Series? Or, in the wildest of dreams, did we finally, *finally*, win it all? Let’s hear your scorching hot takes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
Leave a Reply