After 24 years, the Seattle Mariners have made it to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), restoring the team\u2019s \u201cRefuse to Lose\u201d spirit. Fans all over Seattle have been thrilled by the Mariners\u2019 playoff run, which has brought generations together who have been longing for this moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 2025 season for the Mariners has been absolutely remarkable. Led by Cal Raleigh<\/a>, the favorite for the American League MVP award, the team has a winning combination of great hitting and strong pitching. The team, featuring players like Josh Naylor<\/a>, Julio Rodriguez<\/a> and Bryan Woo<\/a>, has turned what initially appeared to be a rebuilding season into a serious race for the championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly emotional,\u201d Denise Morales, a lifelong Mariners fan, said. \u201cWe\u2019ve waited over two decades to see this kind of momentum again. It\u2019s not just about baseball, it\u2019s about seeing hope restored in a franchise that\u2019s carried so much history and heartbreak.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With every pitch and homerun, fans are packing the stands, waving their rally towels and cheering louder, so much so that T-Mobile Park registered seismic activity<\/a> equivalent to a 3.0 earthquake during their 15-inning Oct. 10 game versus the Detroit Tigers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe energy of this team is different,\u201d Aidan Hatch, a third-year communications and media major at Seattle University and Rolling Mariners<\/a> podcast host, said. \u201cIn 2022, it felt like \u2018Oh my gosh, we finally made it.\u2019 but this year they have the mindset of \u2018we\u2019re here to win it all.\u2019 They don\u2019t just want to make the playoffs, they want to finish the job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This mindset fueled a tough season. After winning nine straight games to start the year, the Mariners slowed down in May and June, having a 13-14 record in those two months. They made a comeback after the trade deadline, bringing in essential players like Naylor and Eugenio Suarez.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Suarez, who was a part of the previous playoff team, has contributed valuable leadership and experience to the clubhouse. The team\u2019s lineup strengthened with midseason signings, which gave them the boost they needed to get back on track. Along with a new and improved offense, lifelong Mariners fan Jordan Kim referenced another factor towards the team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n \u201cPitching depth without a doubt,\u201d Kim said. \u201cOur starters have consistently ranked [in the] top five in ERA [Earned Run Average] and WHIP [Walks + Hits per Innings Pitched]. Bryan Woo and Logan Gilbert have anchored a rotation that rarely gives up early runs, which has given the offense breathing room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Kim highlighted the key differences between the current Mariners and the legendary 2001 squad <\/a>that last made it to the ALCS.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2001 team was built on consistent contact hitting and historic depth,\u201d Kim said. \u201cThis 2025 team is built on power and pitching. They\u2019re different styles of excellence, but the current team feels more balanced overall.\u201d<\/p>\n Raleigh has been a big part of the team, playing a crucial role offensively and defensively. His strength at the plate has made him one of the American League\u2019s strongest hitters. This season, Raleigh has set the record for most home runs in a single season by a catcher, switch-hitter and Mariners hitter. Raleigh hit home run number 60 Sept. 24, joining only six other players<\/a> to have achieved this feat. What he does behind the plate has also been important in guiding the pitching staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe hit 60 home runs, which is something you\u2019ll never see again from a catcher,\u201d Hatch said. \u201cBut what really makes him dangerous is the lineup around him. Pitchers can\u2019t avoid him because after Raleigh comes Rodriguez, then Naylor, then Polanco. There\u2019s no break, it\u2019s a nightmare for opposing teams.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Mariners showed their strength and determination in an exciting five-game American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Detroit Tigers from Oct. 4-10, 2025. Seattle had a close victory in Game 1 to start the series, but Detroit quickly evened the series. The Mariners\u2019 offense took off in Game 3 with home runs from Raleigh, Suarez and J.P. Crawford taking the lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Game 4, the Tigers came back, resulting in a thrilling final game in Seattle. Game 5 was a 15-inning game that became the longest winner-take-all playoff game in MLB history. With a 3-2 victory and a walk-off single by Jorge Polanco, the Mariners advanced to the ALCS.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou allowed one home run in 15 innings and no other runs to score,\u201d Hatch said. \u201cThe Tigers had a chance to score in almost every inning, but our pitching stepped up huge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The team\u2019s confidence in Morales\u2019 opinion has been a big factor for the team.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis group plays like they expect to win, not just hope to,\u201d Morales said. \u201cYou can see it in how they handle pressure; they stay composed even when the game tightens. That\u2019s something past teams sometimes lacked.\u201d<\/p>\n