5 explanations for how Mariners' offense has become MLB's biggest embarrassment

Last season was extremely productive for the Mariners offense, as they continued to build on the foundation of what was laid down by Dan Wilson and Edgar Martínez during the final six weeks of the 2024 campaign. They finished tied-ninth in scoring, helped by hitting the third-most homers in the majors.

More success was expected this year, thanks to a full season of Josh Naylor and the addition of Brendan Donovan in a trade from the Cardinals. In fact, ESPN's Bradford Doolittle projected the Mariners to be the No. 4 lineup in the Major League Baseball.

Unfortunately for Mariners fans, the offense has taken a significant step backwards in 2026, ranking tied-25th in the majors in scoring, with 4.02 runs per contest. And it's been particularly poor of late, with the team currently on a run of 12 consecutive games of three or less runs.

The disappointment of the Seattle Mariners offense traces back to these 5 things

1. Injuries

Folks can say every team has to deal with injuries until they go blue in the face. And while there is truth to this, it doesn't change the reality the Mariners lineup has had to deal with a lot. We're talking about being without the likes of Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, J.P. Crawford and Donovan at different stages and for varying amounts of time on the Injured List.

It's tough enough trying to be a productive offensive, but it's even worse when you're trying to do it without some of your best bats. Donovan's the only one currently injured, and the Mariners are undoubtedly missing his .274 batting average, .839 OPS and 140 OPS+. Unfortunately he's been limited to 25 games due to a lingering left groin strain, with genuine concern as to how much he can contribute during the second half of the season.

2. Cal Raleigh's downfall

It's been a rough first half of 2026 for Raleigh, not helped by his aforementioned stint on the IL with a right oblique strain. Actually, what made it even worse was his admirable -- but ultimately unwise -- decision to initially try and play through the injury. This coincided in a 0-for-38 hitless streak which came within three of the all-time franchise record, set by Jarred Kelenic in 2021.

Raleigh has been hitting better since returning from the IL, but this isn't as encouraging as it sounds, with him batting .182 with a .644 OPS and 98 wRC+. He's looking little like the player who was 2025 AL MVP runner-up, highlighted by hitting just eight home runs at the halfway point compared to 32 at the same stage last season. The M's don't need his 60-home run version to be competitive, but they sure as heck need more than he's been showing so far this year.

3. Josh Naylor's downfall

We all remember the phenomenal impact Naylor had last season following his trade from Arizona. He was a galvanizing force who arguably played the biggest part in helping take the Mariners to the doorstep of a first ever World Series berth. His dad bod, grumpy old man expression totally belied a player who did it all, whether it be hitting well, getting timely steals or looking better than expected at first base.

This season, however, it's fair to say the honeymoon period is over for Naylor in Seattle, with him yet to recreate his Energizer Bunny routine from last year. His defense at first base has been bad, while his bat has been colder, highlighted by a drop from a 136 OPS+ (with the M's specifically) to a 95 OPS+. He has been hitting .280 with a .720 OPS since the beginning of May, but more still needs to come from a player who has a career .767 OPS.

4. Another slow start by Julio

Sure, we get it. Julio Rodríguez having a slow start to the season is nothing new. However, it doesn't change the fact it has still had a detrimental impact on the Mariners lineup this season, when considering how ridiculously talented he is.

Further, it doesn't make fans feel any better, when they see Rodríguez's bWAR, batting average, OBP, OPS and OPS+ all projected to be career-lows. Still, his Major League track record does indicate he'll turn it around in the second half of the season. You'd also like to think he's just due some good old fashioned luck, when considering that during June he has a .200 batting average, .292 slugging percentage and .258 wOBA, whereas his expected (x) metrics are .292, .482 and .363 respectively.

5. Overall team issues

You win as a team and you lose as a team, so it's only fair to look at the offensive issues which have impacted them as a whole. First up, there's the Mariners' inability to hit with RISP, with their .224 batting average third-worst in the majors. In fairness, they weren't much better last season with a .235 batting average, but even that extra .011 clearly made all the difference.

Of course it doesn't help if you can't hit southpaws, and as much as Rob Refsnyder has been the poster child for this issue, everyone has been afflicted. As a team, the Mariners are dead-last in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS versus left-handed pitching. The overriding concern is that they aren't stepping up in clutch moments, and with opposing teams having the added advantage/knowledge that lefties are killing Wilson's team.

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