The Seattle Mariners are incredibly close to what the entire franchise has been waiting for: their first World Series. Just one more win, and the door will open. And that very feeling of “having touched it but not yet grasped it” is shaping how the Mariners approach the next season.
This is no longer a team building for an uncertain future. The Mariners have won at least 85 games in four consecutive seasons. They’ve moved beyond the hopeful phase and are officially entering the phase of demanding results.
Re-signing Josh Naylor is a clear statement. When healthy, Seattle’s rotation is enough to make any opponent wary. Andres Muñoz locks down the final game. Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh are two undisputed pillars. But the deeper you look, the clearer one thing becomes: a familiar piece is still missing.
That’s why Eugenio Suárez’s name keeps coming up in every serious discussion about the 2026 Mariners.
Currently, Ben Williamson is expected to hold the third base. At 25, he deserves a chance: 85 debut games, batting average .253, solid defense, youthful energy. But here’s the problem: Seattle isn’t in the “trial and error” phase anymore. They’re in the “how far to go” phase.
And that’s where experience starts to weigh.
Suárez is no stranger to the Mariners. After being traded from the Diamondbacks at the 2025 deadline, he’ll have 53 games in a Seattle jersey. The .189 average isn’t impressive. But behind that are 13 home runs, 31 RBIs, and over the entire 2025 season, he’ll finish with 49 home runs and 118 RBIs—a career high. An All-Star. A powerhouse that very few teams can afford to ignore.
Yes, Suárez’s batting average is a point of contention. But the Mariners don’t need him to hit .280. They need him to change how opponents pitch, to force coaches to rethink their lineups every time they flip a page. When Suárez is alongside Raleigh, Julio, and Naylor, Seattle is no longer just a “troublemaker.” They become a real threat.
Another crucial factor: Jorge Polanco has left. The Mariners are lacking an infielder who can both shoulder the pressure and take responsibility in big moments. With Suárez, Seattle doesn’t need to guess. They know exactly what they’re getting—both the positives and the imperfections.
Unlike before, if they re-sign Suárez, this will be a relationship with clear expectations from the start. Not about “filling a gap,” but about betting on a full season. A player who understands the clubhouse, understands the pressure, understands that this team is no longer content with just “making the playoffs.”
Of course, the Mariners won’t be alone. Any team lacking power in the hot corner will glance at Suárez. But Seattle has an advantage: they’ve seen how close the Mariners have come. And sometimes, that’s enough to make a decision.
Seattle has seen the peak. If they truly want to take that final step, returning to Eugenio Suárez might not be nostalgia—but a cold calculation from a title-hungry team.
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