COLUMN: Mariners ready to be tested
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months AGO
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, in Seattle.
AP PHOTO/LINDSEY WASSON
The Seattle Mariners have a big pairing of games coming up against the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies — two of the best teams in the National League. However, they are poised to prove they are better than both opponents.
As of press time, the Mariners are at the beginning of a long set of three-game series, starting with the Baltimore Orioles. For eight days straight, the Mariners will be playing baseball. In any sport, a long stretch of games like this would be difficult. They will be on the road for all nine games.
Heading into their first game against the Orioles, the Mariners are on a seven-game win streak. That's the longest active streak of any team in the American League. To say the least, they are catching fire at the right time.
When I first wrote about the Mariners, it was before the trade deadline. The key point that I made was for them to seize the moment. Since then, they have done just that. They invested in the potential of this roster by making moves at the trade deadline by acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Since those transactions were made, the Mariners have been winning. They have improved their record at home significantly. It was a five-game win/loss differential. Now, it's a 12-game differential.
Not only have the Mariners improved their productivity with the recent additions, but they have continued to have success with the players that were already here. They have started to climb in the standings from fifth to fourth place. Their runs scored is 547 and fifth in the American League.
With momentum on their side, the Mariners are poised to explode up the standings in the American League. On paper, they should sweep the Orioles. Baseball’s unpredictability aside, the Orioles are well below .500 in the win column.
As they prepare for the Mets, who are 63-55, the Mariners will need to prepare for the trifecta of Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. The trio is top three on the team in runs, RBI’s and home runs. Their roster does not appear to rely on one player to change the game. The wealth of talent is spread across the dugout. The Mariners will need to be sharp defensively and capitalize on the opportunities they get when at bat.
As for the Phillies, currently 69-49, they are second in the National League. They will need to look out for players like Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. Schwarber leads the team with 42 home runs, 97 RBI’s and an On Base Percentage of .376. Turner leads the team with a batting average of .282 and 135 hits.
The Phillies are a highly productive team that can string together long win streaks. Their longest this season is nine. As of Aug. 12, they are on a four-game win streak and looking to build on it by taking care of the Cincinnati Reds.
If the Mariners can at least come out of both series with the Orioles and Mets with two wins each, they’ll be positioned to make some noise against the Phillies. Given their recent success, the Mariners are capable of dominating this stretch of games. If the Mariners can come out of this stretch of games with no more than two or three losses, they can ride their momentum to the finish line.
Just like Ichiro Suzuki implored to the Mariners clubhouse when his jersey was recently retired — seize the moment.
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