Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. They compete in the American League West Division. The franchise joined the AL as an expansion club in 1977, playing its first 22 seasons at the Kingdome before moving to T-Mobile Park in the SoDo neighborhood in July 1999. The team's name reflects Seattle's strong maritime culture, and its nicknames include the M's, a nod to the primary logo used from 1987 to 1992. The current colors, navy blue, northwest green (teal), and silver, were adopted before the 1993 season, replacing the original royal blue and gold, which still appear in alternate uniforms. The Mariner Moose has been the team's mascot since 1990.

The Mariners experienced their golden era in the mid-1990s to early 2000s, driven by Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, and Edgar Martínez. They reached the playoffs in 1995, 1997, 2000, and 2001. The 1995 AL Division Series win over the New York Yankees, capped by Martínez's walk-off double that scored Griffey, is a franchise highlight and helped secure baseball's future in Seattle. After losing Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez, the team rebounded by signing Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki and won a record-tying 116 games in 2001, matching the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins in a single season. That season also set the AL record.

Since 2001, the Mariners endured a long playoff drought, not returning to the postseason until 2022. They won their fourth AL West title in 2025, their first division crown in 24 years. Despite periods of success, the franchise has finished with a losing record in 30 of its 49 seasons through 2025. The Mariners are the only active MLB team never to appear in the World Series, holding the longest active drought among all 30 clubs. Their all-time record through 2025 is 3,689–4,022–2.[edit]

The Seattle Mariners were born from a lawsuit. After the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee following the 1969 season, the city and county sued Major League Baseball, leading to an expansion franchise awarded for 1977. The team's first game was April 6, 1977, a 7-0 loss to the California Angels. Early years were tough: the Mariners lost 100 games in their inaugural season and wouldn't have a winning record until 1991.

The franchise turned a corner in 1995. Trailing the Angels by 13 games in August, the Mariners went on a furious run, forcing a one-game playoff for the AL West title. They beat the Angels 9-1, then stunned the Yankees in the ALDS. Edgar Martínez's double in the 11th inning of Game 5 scored Ken Griffey Jr. and sent the Kingdome into a frenzy. That series drew record crowds and is often credited with saving baseball in Seattle, leading to public funding for a new ballpark.

The 2001 season was the pinnacle. After losing Alex Rodriguez to free agency, the Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki, who became the first Japanese position player in MLB. The team won 116 games, tying the 1906 Cubs for the most wins ever. Ichiro won both Rookie of the Year and MVP, and the Mariners swept through the ALDS before falling to the Yankees in the ALCS. That would be the team's last playoff appearance until 2022, a 20-year drought that included 14 losing seasons.

In 2022, the Mariners broke the drought with a Wild Card berth, beating the Blue Jays in a dramatic two-game sweep. The next year, they fell just short of the playoffs. But 2025 marked a resurgence: behind a dominant pitching staff and a breakout season from Julio Rodríguez, the team won the AL West for the first time since 2001. The Mariners have never been to the World Series, the longest active drought in MLB.[edit]