Mariners officially begin a stretch run that even they (hopefully) can't screw up

Back at the halfway point of the season, we shared an impassioned plea for the Mariners to stop screwing up the 2026 season. Now, with 28 games remaining, this sentiment remains. And even though a 64-70 record on its own doesn't seem particularly inspiring, the cards are all falling into place for them to finally put it all together and secure a second straight playoff spot.

At the time of our plea, the Mariners were only one game over at 41-40, which was extremely disappointing for a fanbase expecting so much more from this team. What those same fans didn't anticipate however, was that it was going to get a lot worse. By the time the M's were swept at home by the Rays earlier this month, they found themselves seven games under .500, at 56-63.

The Mariners were just about hanging in there, sitting 4.0 games off the AL West summit and 3.5 games out of the final wild card spot. However, with five consecutive series coming up against the Yankees, Astros, Brewers, Cubs and Phillies -- all teams in playoff spots -- there was a very real threat this stretch could sink them for good. And that's how things seemed to be playing out, as they lost the first two games on the road in The Bronx and fell to a season-worst nine games under .500.

From the depths of despair, the Mariners rise like a Phoenix from the flames

Then, something finally clicked in the series finale against the Yankees and the Mariners went on a 8-5 run which included impressive series wins versus the Cubs and Phillies in this past homestand. Yes, this stretch included a franchise record 22-0 drubbing in Milwaukee and a 19-2 thrashing versus the Cubs. However, even those results don't take away from the fact the M's came through a murderers' row of opponents and are now facing a clear and feasible path to that coverted playoff spot.

That's because between now and the end of the regular season, the Mariners' remaining opponents have a combined .436 winning percentage. The only team the M's will face over .500 is the Red Sox, as they close out things with the easiest schedule in the majors. This includes the gift of 17 games versus the Athletics, Angels and Rockies, who have the three worst records in baseball.

If you're looking for other reasons to be optimistic, things are beginning to looking up on the injury front. Brendan Donovan could be back from concussion protocol this weekend, while Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell are both projected to return in early September to boost an embattled bullpen.

The rest of MLB better watch out, as the M's 'Big 3' are finally playing well at the same time

Want more? How about the Mariners' 'Big 3' of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor? Raleigh seems to have finally woken up, Rodríguez is showing flashes of his ceiling as a superstar and Naylor has had his best month yet this season, hitting .325 with a .818 OPS in August. In addition, roster expansion is coming on Sept. 1, which could mean promotions for Michael Arroyo and Lazaro Montes to help inject some youthful exuberance and talent into the team.

This doesn't mean it's going to be plain sailing for the Mariners, with a theme of this season being that even as the bar gets moved lower and lower, they struggle to clear it. And it is worth adding they are only 34-34 against teams with losing records in 2026. The point being, this is the last time the bar is going to move any lower.

If the Mariners again fail to clear the bar, then unfortunately it will provide confirmation that they were just not good enough, as ridiculous as that might sound for a team with so much talent. However, we're going to keep faith in a team which even last season was only five games above .500 in September, before going on a tear of 17 wins in 18 games to clinch the division. The M's are renowned for strong finishes in recent years, and we believe something similar will happen this time around as well.

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