The Mariners actually look like the AL terror everyone thinks they are

There have been times throughout the 48-year history of the Seattle Mariners when it has felt like everyone was a little in love with them. The Ken Griffey Jr. years of the 1990s come to mind. So, too, does the Ichiro Suzuki-led charge to 116 wins in 2001.

Might right now be another?

To think as much would feel delusional if there wasn't hype for the Mariners in seemingly every direction. They were broadly seen as one of the big winners of the trade deadline after scoring Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates. And on Thursday, the drumbeat went on at MLB Network:

There's an unavoidable element of discomfort in all this. It's nice that so many people are suddenly high on the Mariners, but the effect is a resetting of the standard to a height they have never reached. It's World Series or bust, and the Mariners have never even been to the Fall Classic before.

But with the way the Mariners are playing heading into this weekend's series against the Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park, we're inclined to think: Shoot, why not?

The 2025 Mariners might be even more dangerous than advertised

A snapshot of the 2025 Mariners only reveals them to be about as good as they're intended to be. Their 63-53 record amounts to a .543 winning percentage, a figure that is simultaneously respectable and ominous to those in the know.

There are nonetheless various before-and-after moments with which one can carve the Mariners' 2025 season into segments. And right now, what's most instructive is how they have bounced back since falling victim to an ugly sweep by the New York Yankees back on July 10.

The Mariners have won 15 out of 23 since then, and about the only thing that hasn't gone right for them in this span is a batting slump on the part of AL MVP candidate Cal Raleigh. Four everyday hitters have a wRC+ of at least 140 during this 23-game run, including a red-hot Randy Arozarena and an even hotter Julio Rodríguez.

The 2022 AL Rookie of the Year has largely destroyed the narrative of his 2025 season being yet another disappointment. He has a .986 OPS and 10 homers to show for his last 23 games, resulting in him once again being squarely among the top players in the league.

With Jorge Polanco and Cole Young also swinging hot bats and J.P. Crawford showing signs of life after a move down the order, the Mariners would probably be rolling offensively even if they didn't have Suárez and Naylor, who combined for a .854 OPS and 47 homers in Arizona. Yet their arrivals turned Dan Wilson's everyday lineup into arguably the deepest in the AL, and in unexpected ways to boot.

Oh, and don't worry about Naylor's early exit from Thursday's extra-innings win. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the first baseman should be back from his shoulder soreness "sooner rather than later."

About the only area where there's still some uncertainty is on the mound, where Wilson has somewhat of an undermanned relief corps and a rotation that hasn't been getting peak efforts from Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. Even still, the whole staff ranks seventh with a 3.59 ERA since the Yankees sweep, and it stands to get a boost from Bryce Miller's injury comeback.

True, the Mariners' last three wins were against a Chicago White Sox team that has been DOA for two seasons in a row. And more softness is still to come, as the Rays and Baltimore Orioles likewise offer chances to beat up on teams with losing records.

And yet, the Mariners' bona fides against fellow contenders are more than deserving of respect. They have 36 wins against teams with .500 or better records, the second-most in the league after only the 70-win Milwaukee Brewers.

Given all the hype, the Mariners have been placed in "prove it" territory anyway, and there's only one way out once a team is in there. Everyone knows what it is. It's that thing at the end of October.

Yet even if final judgment on the 2025 Mariners can't be rendered until then, perhaps the only thing more gratifying than all the sudden love is the feeling that it's actually justified.

Game Times and Probable Pitchers for Mariners vs. Rays, August 8-10

• Friday, August 8 at 6:40 p.m. PT: Drew Rasmussen vs. Luis Castillo
• Saturday, August 9 at 6:40 p.m. PT: Joe Boyle vs. Logan Evans
• Sunday, August 10 at 1:10 p.m. PT: Adrian Houser vs. Bryan Woo