The Mariners' current playoff standing is beginning to feel like a curse

History says the Seattle Mariners will “Mariner” when it comes to the postseason. Even the truest, most passionate fans have to accept reality: for some reason, even the most talented of Mariners teams somehow manage to play like they’re allergic to October baseball.

It’s so ingrained in the culture that even How I Met Your Mother couldn’t resist poking fun. Marshall Eriksen (played by Jason Segel) once warned against inviting a failed romance to a wedding, delivering this haymaker: “Why invite a failed romance to come witness a successful one? You know, that’s like inviting the Seattle Mariners to the World Series, it’s just awkward for everyone.”

Why, Marshall? Why?

Mariners’ postseason hopes haunted by road struggles

But here’s the thing: He wasn’t wrong.

Long-time fans still carry the scars of the 1995 ALCS loss to the then-Cleveland Indians, or the 2000 and 2001 heartbreakers against the Evil Empire Yankees. Those were over two decades ago, and yet the Mariners are still haunted by the ghosts of playoff failures. And now, despite having arguably their most complete roster since those early-2000s squads, they look nothing on the field like they do on paper.

The pitching? It should be great. The lineup? Lengthened. The vibes? Not so much.

Even worse, the Mariners look like they’re homesick and starving for home cooking. They’ve dropped 12 of their last 15 games on the road. They just lost ground to Houston in the AL West standings. And yes, they’re still clinging to the AL’s third Wild Card, but it’s hard to feel good about that, especially for a team that is 32–38 on the road and would lose out on home-field advantage in every round.

Sure, there’s precedent for bad road teams making deep runs. The 2023 Rangers (40–41 away) and 2022 Phillies (40–41 away) both won pennants despite being mediocre outside their own parks. The 2012 Tigers even went 38–43 on the road before reaching the World Series. But those are exceptions, not the rule. And right now, the Mariners are six games under .500 on the road. That’s less “battle-tested playoff team” and more “please don’t make us leave Seattle.”

What makes this strange is that, until recently, the Mariners weren’t this bad when traveling. From 2021–23, their home/away splits were basically even. They even finished multiple seasons better than .500 on the road. Then, out of nowhere, the wheels fell off:

• 2021: Home 46–35 | Away 44–37
• 2022: Home 46–35 | Away 44–37
• 2023: Home 45–36 | Away 43–38
• 2024: Home 49–32 | Away 36–45

So what gives?

Well, one can point to when the MLB introduced a balanced schedule in 2023, forcing every team to play every other team at least once. In theory, it created fairness. In practice, it shoved the Mariners into constant cross-country trips across three time zones. Factor in that Seattle is geographically isolated from everyone and you’ve got one of the most traveled teams in baseball.

The Mariners haven’t ranked lower than 4th in travel miles since 1987. Next year, they’re projected to log 50,308 miles, more than anyone else in MLB. For perspective, that’s 2,000 miles more than the A’s… who, again, don’t even count because they’re playing in a minor league park where both they and their opponents probably feel like they’re visiting an alternate universe.

Still, the numbers tell a story. Here’s how the four most traveled teams in 2025 have fared:

• Dodgers: 48,649 miles | Home 45–26 | Away 33–33
• Athletics: 48,310 miles | Home 29–40 | Away 35–35
• Padres: 45,436 miles | Home 43–23 | Away 33–39
• Mariners: 44,622 miles | Home 41–27 | Away 32–38

Coincidence? Maybe. But it’s tough to ignore the pattern: the more you’re in the air, the worse you are on the road. And for the Mariners, it’s starting to look like this travel grind, combined with their long history of postseason futility, might be brewing into something more than just a slump.

Call it bad luck. Blame the food on the road. Call it geography. Or call it a curse. Just don’t call it October baseball yet.