There aren’t many other teams in baseball that have been more disappointing this season than the Seattle Mariners.
After coming within one game of the World Series a year ago, Seattle has completely fallen apart in 2026. The Mariners are currently 56-65 on the season, sitting in third place within the American League West division.
Now, to their credit, the playoffs are still within their reach as Seattle is only 5.5 games back of first place, but the entire division is having a down year. The easiest path for the Mariners is likely the wild-card, but the narratives around the group have been low all season.
Dan Wilson on the Hot Seat?
Due to the struggles, manager Dan Wilson’s future is now in question. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal dropped some interesting thoughts on the leash that the Mariners will give to Wilson if things don’t turn around.
The leash on Dan Wilson has “crossed my mind,” says @Ken_Rosenthal.
“This team looks like it needs a kick in the rear.” pic.twitter.com/SX5tUEEyPw
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 13, 2026
So far in his managerial career with the Mariners, Wilson is 167-148 during the regular season. Wilson is 6-6 in the postseason with Seattle.
Cal Raleigh Problem
One of the main reasons why the Mariners have been so bad this season is the offense. Seattle has been very inconsistent offensively, and it has led to all sorts of problems.
Slugger Cal Raleigh has been at the center of the issue, with him struggling to replicate his success from a year ago. Raleigh was the runner-up in the AL MVP race last season, but this year, he has been unable to break through.
In 2025, Raleigh posted a slash line of .247/.359/.589, with 60 home runs and 125 RBIs.
In comparison, the slugger has a slash line of .161/.269/.569 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Raleigh recently opened up about his issues this season.
“We’re not playing well. That starts with me,” Raleigh said to the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish. “I’m awful. I’ve got to find a way to be better and to help bring the guys along. We just gotta play better. We’re just playing very, very, very bad baseball in every facet of the game.”
If Raleigh can’t find a way to turn his season around, the Mariners could be in trouble. But he isn’t the only problem for this team this year.
Mariners Offensive Woes
While Raleigh’s problems have contributed to the decline of the Mariners, the entire offense has been an issue. Seattle ranks toward the bottom of the league in almost every category, showing a concerning trend this year.
The Mariners rank second-to-last in team batting average (.229) and slugging percentage (.376), while coming in ranked third-to-last in OPS (.684). The entire unit has struggled this year, leading to the team taking a major step back in the standings.
But there is still time left to alter the narrative of the 2026 season for the Mariners. If this team can get into the playoffs, anything can happen.
Seattle still has the majority of the core that reached the ALCS a year ago, and they showed how dangerous they can be. But the clock is ticking on this Mariners’ team, so there needs to be a sense of urgency starting right now.
If they can’t make some changes, Wilson could be looking for a new job after the season ends.
MLB Insider Sends Strong Message on Dan Wilson’s Mariners Future