The Seattle Mariners finished the offseason in a way fans had long awaited. Brendan Donovan — the Gold Glove All-Star — finally arrived. Josh Naylor, the number one priority, was retained on a multi-year contract. Major gaps were filled. On paper, the roster was ready.
But Seattle didn’t enter 2026 with a sense of “completed.” They entered with a debt.
The 2025 ALCS wasn’t just a losing streak. Blowing away a 3–1 lead against Toronto left a collective scar — on the players, the management, and the city. There’s no way to encapsulate that pain in statistics. It’s in the locker room. In every practice. In the way they talk about “goals.”
With Donovan, the Mariners addressed defensive stability and OBP. With Naylor, they maintained their central offense. Only a small question remained about the second/third position — depending on where Dan Wilson positioned Donovan. But those are the details. The big picture is clear: Seattle isn’t building to come back—they’re building to finish.
What do the Oddsmakers say? The Mariners are only behind the Yankees and Dodgers in terms of World Series potential. LA is even predicted three-peat. Those numbers don’t lighten Seattle’s burden. They weigh it down. 2026 won’t be a “sneaky” season anymore. They have targets on their backs.
Julio Rodríguez says it straight: there are things you carry. The experience of being eliminated doesn’t disappear; it adjusts your mindset. “A mental adjustment.” That’s how a young star talks about turning pain into an advantage.
Cal Raleigh—a leader with composure—keeps things grounded. Last season was exceptional, yes. But the standards have to be higher. The World Series isn’t a luxury dream anymore; it’s a publicly stated destination. And the road will be difficult. No one in Seattle is pretending otherwise.
The danger (for the rest of MLB) is this pressure is backed by experience. The Mariners know what postseason looks like when things shrink. They know how every small mistake can kill a seven-game series. They know what it feels like to stand on the other side, watching the opponent celebrate.
The difference in 2026 is calculation. Donovan allows for flexibility. Naylor allows for stability. A roster deep enough not to panic when things go wrong. And a locker room united around one short phrase: closure.
But closure in sports doesn’t come from words. It comes from enduring the pressure of having all eyes on you—and still hitting the right pitch, shooting the right shots, making the right decisions at the right time.
The Mariners don’t need to prove they’re good. They already have. What they need to prove is that they can handle the weight of being a top contender.
If they can, 2026 will be more than just a comeback season. This will be the season in which Seattle turns painful memories into its sharpest weapon.
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