The Mariners are coming off four straight wins, putting themselves at the helm of the AL West. They had a rough start this season, posting a 25-29 record by Memorial Day. Injuries, a struggling offense, and sloppy defense played their part, but scoring 29 runs in the last 4 games hints at a turnaround.

They may look like they are just 2 games ahead of the next in line, the A’s, but for the Athletic’s Tyler Kepner, Seattle offers enough firepower to run it away with the division.

“I think I think they should run away with this division, honestly, I see no reason why they can’t. I mean, they’ve got two of their best hitters on the injured list now with Cal Raleigh, who wasn’t hitting at all, and Brendan Donovan, who was so. They’re a little bit undermanned offensively, and they’re already kind of a little bit suspect offensively. But I think that offense will get going,” Kepner said via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.

Manager Dan Wilson should be happy with such a projection at the cost of the A’s, Rangers, Astros, and Angels.

Raleigh’s injury should have sparked a huge outcry in Seattle, but considering he was hitting a mere .161 and 7 homers before entering the IL on May 14, the Mariners had a lower impact. Same with Donovan. He is also in the IL and has belted just 3 homers this season. So, while the Mariners are surely missing the two power hitters, the team is still rebounding without them.

In the third game against the A’s, Julio Rodriguez, Rob Refsnyder, and Cole Young power a 9-1 win. Randy Arozarena is leading the chart in terms of average (.297), Luke Raley is leading the HR chart (12), and RBIs (30). So, the Mariners finally started to look strong offensively without Raleigh and Donovan. And with both names scheduled to return in the next few weeks, the Mariners would look stronger than ever.

Their pitching is also putting up some good numbers. The Mariners are ranked 5th in terms of ERA (3.57), and they boast one of baseball’s deepest rotations, currently relying on a six-man mix of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, Bryce Miller, and Luis Castillo. “Emerson Hancock actually has been maybe the best one of their starters, and they weren’t really counting on that. But they did a good job with him in the offseason, and you know. Bryce Miller is back now,” Kepner added.

Hancock is surely the breakout star of the Mariners in 2026. He has transitioned from a depth piece into one of the Mariners’ most reliable starters. Through late May 2026, he has logged 11 starts, posting a stellar 2.78 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Miller is also back from injury and recorded 14 SOs from 3 games. So, suddenly, the Mariners’ pitching is also looking good.

Result? A consecutive four wins that serve as a warning to the A’s, Rangers, Astros, and Angels. The Mariners have gained the momentum, and if the rest of the 4 don’t up their game, the AL West is going to Seattle. Still, not all are fine with the M’s.

The Mariners’ bullpen remains a concern

Late-game collapses are still haunting the Mariners.

In a game against the Padres last month, Seattle entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a comfortable 6-2 lead but surrendered five runs in the frame, ultimately suffering a 7-6 walk-off loss. Andres Munoz and Jose Ferrer blew up the chance. Then the piggyback controversy revealed the uneasy truths of their clubhouse. 

Reportedly, to manage workloads and stretch out starters Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller, the team utilized a “piggyback” pitching strategy. This controversial deployment led to communication gaps between players and management and resulted in losses in which the bullpen couldn’t hold leads or back up strong starting performances. The issue involved Castillo and Miller, and hopefully things got resolved after the GM Justin Hollander took the matter. “Now, I think, we’re all on the same page,” Castillo said.

The only silver lining from their bullpen is the activation of Matt Brash and Gabe Speier. Brash was activated from the 15-day injured list on May 20 after recovering from right shoulder inflammation. He has returned to high-leverage work out of the Seattle bullpen. Speier was activated from the 15-day injured list on May 26. Both have recorded a sub-3.00 ERA till now.

Once the Mariners resolve their late-inning struggle, the AL West would look nearer than ever.