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Why Mariners, not Mets, are MLB's biggest disappointment per Jeff Passan
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- Why Mariners, not Mets, are MLB's biggest disappointment per Jeff Passan
Why Mariners, not Mets, are MLB's biggest disappointment per Jeff Passan originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
There have been some majorly disappointing teams in Major League Baseball this season. A few of the most noteworthy disappointing clubs are the Seattle Mariners , Detroit Tigers , New York Mets , Toronto Blue Jays , and the Baltimore Orioles .
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But which team deserves the distinction of being the biggest disappointment of the 2026 season? The Mariners and Mets stand out as the two favorites for this distinction, and ESPN's Jeff Passan revealed which takes the cake.
The Mariners are Passan's biggest disappointment, not the Mets. The reason why is simple: for as disappointing as the Mets season has been, their rookie class at least gives them hope for the future. Seattle didn't get much to look forward to this season.
Why Mariners, not Mets, are MLB's biggest disappointment
"Biggest disappointment: Seattle Mariners ," Passan writes. "This could've been the New York Mets , but considering the excellent rookie seasons turned in by Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing -- who very easily could combine with Juan Soto to form the best outfield in baseball as soon as next season -- at least the Mets have something positive to say about 2026."
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While the Mets have some fun young rookies like Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean , and others, the Mariners haven't had a whole lot of positives to take away from this season.
Cal Raleigh has regressed and been a major disappointment. Julio Rodriguez doesn't look like the star he appeared to be earlier in his career. The rotation, which was supposed to be a strength, has been underwhelming.
Josh Naylor , Brendan Donovan , and other offseason additions have underwhelmed in 2026 for the Mariners as well.
To make matters worse, Randy Arozarena is hitting free agency and very well could leave for a new club, leaving a huge hole in the outfield and in the lineup for Seattle.
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They have some young players worth getting excited about, like Cole Young , Kade Anderson, and Colt Emerson. But the overall season has been much more underwhelming in comparison to the Mets.
With how weak the AL West is, the Mariners' failure to make the postseason looks a lot worse. The Mets have had a bad 2026 season, but they sold at the deadline, got some good pieces for the future, and have hope for 2027 and beyond.
There is hope for the Mariners, but after the major regression from key players in 2026, it's hard not to be a little pessimistic about the Mariners' future, unlike the optimism for the Mets beyond the 2026 season.
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Passan called the Mariners the biggest disappointment of the 2026 season. Considering how they were one win from the World Series a year ago, the fall-off has been much worse than any other team, especially with the pessimism in 2027 and beyond.
