2 playoff foes Mariners would love — and 2 they should dread

The Seattle Mariners are just a few wins away from clinching a spot in the 2025 playoffs. It would be their second trip to the playoffs in four years, and another opportunity to compete for their first World Series appearance.

While getting to the playoffs is the first step, it's worth wondering who the M's would have to play on their path to the finals. Here are two AL opponents the Mariners would love to face, and two that we'd rather not.

Assessing dream and nightmare opponents for the Mariners in the playoffs

Houston Astros - Love

This would have been a crazy thing to say even at the beginning of the season, but the Mariners would love to play the Astros in the playoffs. Especially if it's at home at T-Mobile Park.

If the Mariners win their upcoming series against the Astros, they will put themselves in the pole position to win the American League West. By winning the West, Seattle could set up a potential No. 3 vs. No. 6 showdown against Houston in Seattle.

Getting revenge on Houston for their 2022 playoff defeat would be sweet, and the Astros are vulnerable. Their team is riddled with injuries, the latest coming to Yordan Alvarez. It really feels like the Astros' dynasty is coming to an end, and the Mariners would love to be the team to hammer the last nail into the Astros' coffin.

Detroit Tigers - Love

The Mariners are 32-24 since the All-Star Break. The Tigers are 26-29. Seattle has been playing better baseball than Detroit for a while now, and it feels like the Mariners match up well with the Tigers. The Tigers took two out of three from Seattle when they met in April, but the Mariners swept the Tigers in July on the road.

New York Yankees - Hate

The Yankees have ended two of the Mariners' five playoff runs. In 2000 and 2001, Seattle and New York met in the ALCS, and in both seasons, the Mariners were victims of the Bronx Bombers.

Over two decades later, it still feels like playing the Yankees in the playoffs would be bad news for the Mariners.

New York was in the World Series last year, and while this year's team is not as strong as last year's, the Yankees are still loaded with talent. While a matchup between AL MVP contenders Cal Raleigh and Aaron Judge would be fun, it's best the Mariners avoid the Yankees on their path to the playoffs.

Toronto Blue Jays - Hate

This might feel counterintuitive after the Mariners defeated the Blue Jays in the playoffs in 2022.

However, this year's Blue Jays are the best team Toronto has had in years. The Blue Jays revived their rebuild with bounce-back years from nearly everyone in the lineup. They are the best team in the American League and have fans everywhere in Canada. That would not bode well for the Mariners. Even for home games in Seattle, Toronto fans would probably represent at least 30 percent of attendance.