Seattle Mariners

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Mariners first fielded a winning team in 1991, and reached the playoffs in 1995, 1997, 2000, and 2001; the most successful period in franchise history. Led by Hall of Fame players Edgar Martínez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, the Mariners clinched their first playoff berth in 1995 when they won their first division championship and defeated the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Martínez's walk-off double in Game 5 drove Griffey in from first base to win the game in the 11th inning, clinched a series win for the Mariners, served as a powerful impetus to preserve baseball in Seattle, and has become an iconic moment in team history. They would win their second division title in 1997. After Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez left the team, the Mariners, bolstered by the signing of Ichiro Suzuki, won 116 games in 2001, which set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the Major League record for most wins in a single season. Following the 2001 season, the franchise entered a long period of mediocrity and would not make the postseason again until 2022. They won their fourth AL West division title in 2025, their first title since 2001. The franchise has finished with a losing record in 30 of 49 seasons. The Mariners are the only active MLB franchise to never appear in the World Series, holding the sport's longest active World Series appearance drought.

In Their Own Story

The transition to Seattle began on January 29, 2024, when the Twins traded Polanco for pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa, along with prospects Gabriel González and Darren Bowen. His first season in Seattle was difficult; he slashed .213/.296/.355 in 118 games, recording a career-high 137 strikeouts and ranking as the 14th worst defender at second base by Statcast. However, the narrative turned in 2025 after the Mariners declined his $12 million option for 2026 but re-signed him to a one-year, $7 million deal on February 3. Polanco exploded in April, going 8-for-17 with four home runs to win American League Player of the Week. This made him and Dylan Moore the first consecutive weekly winners since Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998.

Reader's Guide

The Mariners were created as a result of a lawsuit. In 1970, after Bud Selig bought the Seattle Pilots and moved them to Milwaukee to become the Milwaukee Brewers, the city of Seattle, King County, and the state of Washington (represented by then-state Attorney General and future U.S. Senator Slade Gorton) sued the American League for breach of contract. Confident that Major League Baseball would return to Seattle within a few years, King County built the multi-purpose Kingdome, which would become home to the National Football League's expansion Seattle Seahawks in 1976. The name 'Mariners' was chosen by club officials in August 1976 from more than 600 names submitted by 15,000 entrants in a 'name the team' contest. The name was submitted by Roger Szmodis of suburban Bellevue; when the Mariners attempted to reach Szmodis about the prize he had won, they were unsuccessful—initially and ultimately. The first home run in team history was hit in their fifth game on April 10, 1977, by designated hitter Juan Bernhardt. That year, pitcher Diego Seguí, in his last major league season, became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the Mariners. The Mariners finished at a record matching the 1969 Pilots' record. The team avoided finishing in last place in the AL West by half a game. The Mariners did not post a winning record or finish above fourth place during their first fourteen seasons. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th MLB All-Star Game at the Kingdome. The Mariners were sold to California businessman George Argyros in 1981, who in turn sold the team in 1989 to a group led by Indianapolis-based Jeff Smulyan, who owned radio and television stations, for $76 million. Smulyan proposed moving the team to Tampa, Florida or another market in 1992 before he put the team up for sale. Nintendo of America bought the team after the dismal 1992 season; Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi, who held a 49 percent share of the franchise, had never been to a baseball game but sought to thank the city for its role in the company's success. Before the 1993 season, the Mariners hired manager Lou Piniella, who had led the Cincinnati Reds to victory in the 1990 World Series. Mariners fans embraced Piniella, and he would helm the team for a decade, from 1993 through 2002, winning two American League Manager of the Year Awards during his tenure. (Piniella was selected by the Pilots in

Did You Know?

• The Mariners are the only active MLB franchise to never appear in the World Series.
• The team won 116 games in 2001, tying the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins in a single season in MLB history.
• The Mariners' name was chosen from over 600 entries in a 'name the team' contest in 1976.
• Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in Mariners history on August 15, 2012.