It is over now. No longer "basically over." The 2026 postseason chances for the Seattle Mariners are mathematically finished. The Rangers beat the Mets 3-1 on Thursday, giving Texas its 79th win. Seattle entered the night 74-84 with four games remaining. Even a perfect final weekend would leave the Mariners with 78 wins. So, let's put the calculator away and talk about what's next.
Seattle's playoff chase survived longer than it had any right to, but that sliver of hope still required the Mariners to manage every game normally. That obligation disappeared with the final out in Arlington. The remaining four games against the Angels should now serve as a chance to give the Mariners any useful information about 2027.
Meaning, start Michael Arroyo. Start Lazaro Montes. Move them around the field. Give uncertain relievers innings that actually carry pressure. Protect anyone whose body has already absorbed enough punishment from this season. The standings no longer matter for Seattle. But where they go from here certainly does.
When the Mariners promoted Michael Arroyo, they sold his versatility as part of the appeal. He could play second base and left field. Though, they said in the most polite way possible that he can play those positions. They didn't say he was very good at them. His bat is what pushed him into the conversation.
Entering Thursday, Arroyo had received only 23 at-bats across 11 games. He had slashed .304/.414/.522 in that tiny sample, but the playing time tells the more important story. Seattle had given him only three starts at second base and none in left field. The Mariners can't keep treating Arroyo's defensive home as an unanswered question while refusing to gather the data they need to answer it.
They should see how he can handle both positions. Let him face right-handers and left-handers. Give him four plate appearances instead of one pinch-hit opportunity after spending three hours on the bench.
Montes presents an even louder evaluation. His .182 average entering Thursday doesn't look great. He has four home runs in 44 at-bats. He also has 22 strikeouts. It's nowhere close to a verdict, though some who crave despair are already out on him. Let's remind them of the scouting report: enormous power, enormous swing-and-miss and an enormous need for more major-league pitching. Let the guy work it out.
Seattle already knows what its established hitters look like. These final games belong to the players who can still change the shape of the 2027 roster.
The Mariners need to find out which relievers can support Andrs Muoz next season, and that requires more than throwing them out on the mound for mop-up duty. Give Carlos Vargas, Jos A. Ferrer and Cooper Criswell the uncomfortable assignments if those situations arrive.
Muoz, meanwhile, has nothing left to prove. He recently exited an appearance with right knee discomfort, and the M's no longer have a defensible reason to squeeze another save out of him. The Mariners need their closer healthy in 2027 far more than they need him finishing a September game in a lost season.
The same principle applies to Brendan Donovan . His concussion recovery should remain entirely about his health.
The Mariners should still play hard. Arroyo, Montes and every reliever receiving an opportunity should be expected to help Seattle beat the Angels. Competing and evaluating can happen in the same uniform. There's no value in defaulting to the same lineup because those are the players Dan Wilson trusts most.
The Mariners wasted a lot of time waiting for things to turn around this year. The Rangers have finally put them out of their misery. The playoff race is finished, the miracle math is dead and every remaining inning now belongs to 2027.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mariners/onsi as Mariners Are Officially Eliminated and Out of Excuses to Delay Their 2027 Audition .
