Mariners 2025 Predictions: Fans get good news, bad news in MLB.com's playoff forecast

The Seattle Mariners don't have much in the way of a playoff history since joining Major League Baseball ahead of the 1977 season, with just five qualifications for the postseason. Their last appearance in 2022 ended a drought which stretched all the way back to 2001, when they equalled the all-time record with 116 regular season wins.

Of course we appreciate that Mariners fans are painfully aware of their team's success, or lack thereof, when it comes to October. All they are interested in is returning to the postseason as soon as possible, especially after falling just one win short in each of the past two seasons.

Well, if predictions for 2025 from MLB.com's Will Leitch are any indication, then there is a chance the Mariners and their fans will indeed be celebrating a return to the playoffs come the end of the season. Leitch has them making the postseason, but with two interesting aspects to consider.

All that matters is the Mariners qualifying

The first is that Leitch has the Mariners "only" making the playoffs as a wild card team for what would be the third time (see 2000 and 2022) in franchise history. The second is that the Texas Rangers are predicted to win the AL West, with the Houston Astros missing out altogether.

What's interesting about that second prediction is that the Astros are on a run of eight consecutive trips to the playoffs, and nine out of 10. However, Leitch is convinced that the team in Houston looks weaker than they have been in a decade.

Returning to our main focus of the Mariners, it is worth noting that Leitch does seem to have a bit of a soft spot for Mariners. Let's not forget he's the same columnist who is boldly predicting Julio Rodríguez to win the American League MVP Award for 2025.

In further fairness to Leitch, there is plenty of objective rationale to predicting the Mariners will return to the playoffs, starting with an elite rotation which is arguably the best in the Majors. They also have one of the top catchers in the game in Cal Raleigh, an outfield — including Rodríguez — which has the potential to be the best in baseball, and a bullpen which is primed to be even better with Matt Brash and Gregory Santos back and healthy.

Mariners are due some good luck

In addition, the Mariners have shown enough consistency to be one of only five teams to total 85 or more wins in each of the past four seasons. (They are one of just two AL teams, with the other being the Astros). You can argue they are due some good fortune, with FanGraphs similarly projecting they will be back in the playoffs this year.

Yes, we have already warned that games are won on the playing field as opposed to on a piece of paper or some computer. However, for all the negativity which surrounded the Mariners' approach to the offseason, the reality is this is still a talented team overall.

Now, it's just a case of going out there and proving the likes of Leitch and FanGraphs correct. And as much as a division title would be preferable to a wild card spot, just making the playoffs gives the Mariners a chance of contending for a first World Series appearance.

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