ESPN boldly (and correctly) picks Mariners as only MLB team with two top-10 players

It would come as no surprise if some Mariners fans at times wonder if they're in a kind of fever dream, given just how well-regarded the team is these days. After all, we're talking about an organization which at the start of this decade hadn't won their division or even been to the playoffs since 2001, and in fact had only four playoff appearances since their first season in 1977.

Since 2021 however, the Mariners are one of just four teams to win at least 85 games every season, have gone to the playoffs twice and finally ended a 24-year agonizing wait by winning the AL West. And last season they came closer than ever to breaking their World Series drought, coming within just eight outs of facing the Dodgers for all the marbles.

These are heady times for the Mariners fanbase, with FanGraphs giving them the second-best odds to win the World Series this season behind the new evil empire that is the Dodgers. (Although in fairness, still more likeable than the Yankees.) Now though, comes even more reason for the M's faithful to consider taking doctor's orders to hydrate, cool the temperature in their home and get some valuable sleep.

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez deservedly in the top 10 among MLB players

That's because ESPN has released their top 100 Major League players for 2026, and wouldn't you know that the Mariners are the only team with two top 10 players on the list. And while some might consider this bold, they've also got it right with the two M's players in question being Cal Raleigh at No. 7 and Julio Rodríguez at No. 9.

What gives ESPN's list more credence is that the likes of Jeff Passan and Buster Olney are among the 10 experts who put the list together. Although you'd like to think most people would know enough to put Raleigh and Rodríguez in the top 10, when you consider we're talking about a duo who are (we'll say arguably just to pacify those who insist on a debate or something more heated) the best in the majors at their respective positions of catcher and center fielder.

No one expects Raleigh to repeat his historic 60-home run season again in 2026, but he's still predicted by David Schoenfield to have one hell of a campaign with 47 home runs.

As for Rodríguez, he's coming off a season when he had a career-high 6.8 bWAR, but Schoenfield is predicting an even more special campaign this time around. He thinks Rodríguez can go off for a 40/30 season with 8.0 WAR.

In the case of Raleigh, he'll still have a great all around year even if he "only" hits 40 home runs, with him working on becoming a tougher out and getting his game behind the plate back to his 2024 Platinum Glove level. As for Rodríguez, yes folks have predicted MVP-level campaigns for him before, but now he's better prepared than ever to finally put it all together for a full six months.

Mariners in safe hands with their two superstars

Raleigh and Rodríguez have become heavily invested in creating a winning culture from top to bottom throughout the Mariners organization. This has been helped in large part because of just how talented they both are, and the example they set as they strive to become the best possible versions of themselves.

We absolutely appreciate other fanbases will try to argue the case for also having two players in ESPN's top 10, chiefly the Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani (who is of course first) and either Mookie Betts or Kyle Tucker. Betts was ranked No. 3 on the list last year but then went on to produce a career-worst .732 OPS and is now 33, while Tucker brings concerns about his durability.

Overall, you love to see the Mariners leading the way as the only team with two definite top 100 players on the list. How this translates to the season itself remains to be seen, but for now it's good for bragging rights if nothing else, and the type of predictions we'll gladly take, as opposed to the Tylenol some M's fans might be taking as we speak.