The Mariners, leading the AL West division in 2023, have over a 50% chance to make the playoffs. Their record stands at 76 wins and 57 losses as of September 1, 2023.
The Seattle Mariners are part of Major League Baseball and play in the American League West Division. Last season, they secured a playoff spot, finishing second in their division.
Founded in 1977 in Seattle, Washington, the Mariners are the only MLB team that hasn’t reached the World Series since their start.
Their inaugural playoff run was in 1995, led by renowned players Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson. In total, they’ve topped the AL West Division and reached the playoffs three times.
Notably,they have the longest absence from both the World Series and the playoffs. They’ve qualified for playoffs through the Wild Card route twice: first in 2000 and then 22 years later.
Since 1999, T-Mobile Park in Seattle is where the Mariners play their home games. With 29 games left in the 2023 season, they face competition as the Houston Astros trail closely, boasting a winning percentage of .570 with 77 wins and 58 losses.
Are The Mariners A Playoffs Team?
The Mariners look set for the 2023 playoffs. Based on their games up to 30 August 2023, there’s a 59.1% chance they’ll get there. So far, they’ve won 76 games and lost 57.
This Seattle team did really well in August. They had two winning streaks of eight games each: from 2 to 11 August, and then from 15 to 22 August.
Their 2023 MLB journey started on a high note. They won against the Cleveland Guardians on opening day, 30 March. That day, 45,268 fans were at the stadium to support them.
Now, they have 29 games left in this season to make the playoffs. Even though they’re leading the AL West division with a .571 winning percentage, the Astros and Rangers are close behind.
For September, the Mariners have a tight schedule. They’ll face the NY Mets and Cincinnati Reds for three games each in the first week.
Then, they’re up against the Tamp Bay Rays, the American League Wild Card leader, for four games from 7 to 10 September.
They’ll also play the Angels, Dodgers, Athletics, and Rangers this month. Notably, they’ll visit the Rangers’ stadium, Globe Life Field, for three of those games.
It’s important for the Seattle Mariners to stay ahead. Last season, they were second to the World Champion Astros, trailing by 16 games.
They’ve had an edge over the Astros this year, especially after their two eight-game winning streaks in August.
But, the top spot is still uncertain. The regular season in September will be crucial, especially when they play the Astros at the T-Mobile Park.
These games in the last week of September will likely decide who leads the division. The outcome will also affect the 2023 MLB playoff spots for the Mariners, Astros, and Rangers.
History Seattle Mariners Playoffs
The Mariners had not reached the playoffs for 20 years, from 2002 to 2021. This was the longest time among all major sports teams in North America. In 2022, they finally broke this record.
Back in 1995, they made it to the playoffs for the first time. That year, Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Randy Johnson led the team.
These great players helped the team get to the postseason three times by 2001.
In 2022, after a long gap, the team’s performance improved a lot when they brought in Julio Rodriguez.
In his first year, they made it to the playoffs and are now doing very well in the 2023 season in the AL West.
They’re doing well thanks to strong performances from pitchers like Luis Castillo and hitters like J-Rod. Other players, like Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Logan Gilbert, are also playing well.
With the new talent on the team, they’re working hard to get to the World Series. J-Rod is one of the main players helping them try to achieve this.
Seattle Mariners Last Made Playoffs
The Seattle Mariners made it to the playoffs in 2022. They achieved a spot through both the AL West standings and the Wild Card, having 90 wins and 72 losses that season.
The Seattle Mariners history in the playoffs is limited. Since they started in 1977, they’ve only participated in the postseason five times. It took them 18 years to get there for the first time in 1995.
That year, the Mariners performed well in the American League West Division. This was mainly because of three standout players: Griffey Jr., Johnson, and Martinez.
They played a crucial role in getting the team to the playoffs, but the Mariners didn’t clinch the AL title.
Fast forward to 2022, two players stood out: pitcher Luis Castillo and center fielder Julio Rodriguez.
Their stats were impressive. Rodriguez managed 28 home runs and 145 hits from 511 tries, resulting in a .286 batting average and a .589 slugging rate.
On the other hand, Castillo, the team’s leading pitcher, achieved 181 strikeouts and played 27 games, maintaining a 3.01 ERA for the season.
Seattle Mariners Magic Number 2023
The Seattle Mariners need to secure 29 more victories by September 1, 2023, to lead the AL West Division.
In baseball, there’s a concept called the “Magic Number”. It’s a straightforward way to determine how many games a team needs to win to be the top in their division for the season.
Every year, before the season’s regular games conclude, this number is calculated.
This magic number isn’t just about a team’s wins. It also takes into account the losses of the team’s nearest competitor.
So, when they win a game or when their closest rival loses one, this number drops by one.
To figure out this number, there’s a specific formula that’s followed.
Magic Number= The number of games yet to be played + 1 -(losses team in second place – losses team in first place).
- The regular MLB season consists of 162 games for each team.
- As of 1 September 2023, the Seattle Mariners have completed 133 games.
- The Seattle Mariners performance has been 76 wins and 57 losses so far.
- Currently, they are leading the AL East division, placed above the Houston Astros.
- The Astros have secured 77 wins but also have 58 losses.
- For the Mariners to secure their position, they need to end with at least one more win than the rest.
- The Mariners magic number is calculated to be 29+1-(58-57) = 29.