Grading the first-place Mariners' roller-coaster 2-1 series win vs. Rangers

The Seattle Mariners are 20-13 and leading the AL West. But forgive Mariners fans if they’re not quite ready to celebrate. After all, this is the same franchise that coughed up a double-digit division lead just last season.

Still, there’s a different feel to this year’s surge — one built on resilience, timely execution, and a few scores settled along the way.

Seattle has won 17 of its last 23 games, including five against the Texas Rangers — a team that had its number all last season. Not only have the Mariners taken two series from Texas during this stretch, but they also started it off with a statement sweep in front of their home crowd. That alone was enough to raise some eyebrows.

In this most recent three-game set, we’ll break down what clicked, what didn’t, and hand out some well-earned grades as the Mariners continue their momentum in the early parts of the season.

Mariners vs. Rangers Breakdown and Grades: Series Results

• Friday, May 2: SEA 13, TEX 1
• Saturday, May 3: SEA 2, TEX 1
• Sunday, May 4: SEA 1, TEX 8

Grading the Mariners’ Offense: B-

Giving the Mariners a B- almost feels harsh considering how explosive their offense looked in the opener — but across the full series, consistency was the issue.

Game 1 was a certified beatdown. With Bryan Woo locked into a tight pitchers’ duel opposite young upstart Jack Leiter through four innings, the offense finally erupted in the fifth. Seattle hung a seven-spot on the Rangers, led by a grand slam from Cal Raleigh — his second homer of the night after launching a solo shot just an inning earlier.

The Mariners chased Leiter out in a hurry, kept the pressure on Jacob Latz, and eventually forced Texas to wave the white flag by sending backup catcher Tucker Barnhart to the mound. Even then, the Mariners didn’t ease up, getting their ace swings off against 42 mph lobs. It was ruthless. It was fun.

Seattle’s situational hitting dried up in Game 2. Despite putting plenty of traffic on the basepaths, they struggled to cash in. A couple of timely hits and another strong performance from the pitching staff helped them squeak by in a 2-1 win, but the offensive momentum clearly stalled. And by the time Jacob deGrom took the mound in Game 3, the Mariners' bats were all but muted as the two-time Cy Young winner looked vintage and stifled any hope of another breakout.

Still, 16 total runs across three games is nothing to sneeze at. Raleigh is on an absolute heater, J.P. Crawford has found his rhythm, and Jorge Polanco continues to provide stability in the two-spot. But perhaps the most underappreciated piece of this offense right now is Leo Rivas. Quietly slashing .378/.500/.405 over 16 games, Rivas has brought relentless at-bats, surprising on-base ability, and a level of scrappiness that would’ve been missing with Crawford moved to the top of the lineup.

The stars are producing and the depth is showing up. That’s what the Mariners wanted going into the season and it’s resulting in wins. And a well-earned shoutout to Rhylan Thomas, who picked up his first career major league hit in this series.

Grading the Mariners’ Defense: A

It was a clean and fundamentally sound showing from the Mariners in the field — earning them a well-deserved A on the report card. Across all three games, Seattle didn’t commit a single error, and while they may not be overflowing with Gold Glovers, this defense is quietly becoming a strength.

This isn’t the rangiest defense but the usual suspects held it down. Crawford remains the anchor at shortstop. Miles Mastrobuoni continues to flash his versatility with seamless transitions across the diamond. And Ben Williamson’s defensive stock continues to trend upward.

Julio Rodríguez, of course, patrolled center field and was kept busy. But even beyond the stars, we are beginning to see standout efforts. Rowdy Tellez, not exactly known for finesse, is moving surprisingly well around the bag at first base. Meanwhile, Leo Rivas is settling in at the keystone and adding subtle defensive value with every start.

The biggest defensive moment of the series? No words needed — just check the highlight reel.

This was the kind of cohesive, clean baseball that sets a foundation for tight wins. If this level of play holds, Seattle’s defense won’t just be “good enough” any longer.

Grading the Mariners’ Pitching: B+

Seattle’s pitching staff delivered a rock-solid performance through the first two games before finally cracking in the series finale. Still, there was far more to like than not — anchored by continued excellence from Woo, a steady outing from Luis Castillo, and a triumphant return of a bullpen arm.

Woo continues to be the most reliable pitcher in the starting rotation. He once again stifled the Rangers' bats for the second time this season on Friday, his time tossing 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Woo gave his team everything they could ask for.

Castillo followed suit by delivering a quality start of his own with six innings of one-run ball. But the real moment of that game came in the seventh. The long-awaited return of Matt Brash. Making his first appearance since 2023 after a year-long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Brash was immediately thrust into a high-leverage 1-1 game — and he delivered a clean inning.

Brash looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. His return gives the Mariners a legitimate eighth-inning weapon to pair with Andrés Muñoz, shortening games and restoring some of that bullpen intimidation that defined them in 2022–2023.

Logan Evans had to wear one in Game 3. Tagged for six runs over five innings, the rookie was clearly battling from the jump — but he never folded. In truth, this kind of outing is part of the learning curve. Evans is being thrust into the spotlight out of necessity, with two starters down and a wave of promising arms in the system still in development. He’s part of that group, but right now, he gives Seattle the best shot among their next-up options.

The outing bore an eerie resemblance to Woo’s first career start in Texas — same ballpark, same outcome, same growing pains. Evans took his lumps but still managed to grind through five full innings, sparing the bullpen and showing the kind of grit that doesn’t show up in a box score. These are the tough reps that can shape a young pitcher’s future — and Evans took them head-on.

In total, it was a strong enough series to earn a B+, buoyed by dominant frontline work and a bullpen that looks one step closer to becoming elite again.

Grading the Mariners’ Strategy: B

This one came close to an A — really close. Dan Wilson’s game-planning throughout the series was mostly sharp, aggressive, and effective. While there were a few head-scratchers, the overall execution showed a skipper growing more confident in his decision-making and more in tune with the rhythm of his roster.

For starters, keeping Crawford locked into the leadoff spot continues to be the right call. Even though the Mariners could have had a black hole in the nine-hole, Wilson’s counter-move by slotting in Rivas at the bottom of the order paid off. Rivas has been putting up pesky at-bats and flipping the lineup over, giving J.P. more chances to spark something at the top. It’s a classic case of using your scrappiest hitters to manufacture chaos.

One of the most telling decisions of the series came in Game 2, when Wilson trusted Brash in a tie game in the seventh inning in his first MLB appearance since 2023. High-leverage, high stakes. The fact that Wilson went to him says a lot about Brash’s progress and the manager’s faith in him. Following that up with Gabe Speier, who continues to be quietly elite in relief, was just as savvy.

And look — we didn’t hear from Trent Thornton all series. That’s a win in itself. No offense, but sometimes not deploying a guy is the strategy.

Wilson also pulled the right levers with his bench. Late-game pinch-hit appearances from Polanco and Tellez ended up helping win a close contest on Saturday.

The one mark against him? Sunday’s getaway game. Up 2-0 in the series and heading into a key divisional set against the A’s in Sacramento, it might’ve been wise to get Raleigh off his feet. Yes, his chemistry with Evans likely played into the decision. And yes, the Mariners had two off days the prior week. But with 129 games still to go and Raleigh already racking up wear and tear, using Mitch Garver behind the plate could’ve saved some mileage. Sure, that may be nitpicking. Wilson’s strategy is evolving — and the Mariners are winning because of it.

Seattle now heads to Sacramento looking for their ninth straight series win before the Toronto Blue Jays roll into town next weekend for a showdown at T-Mobile Park.