Mariners' disappointing 2026 season ends in bittersweet fashion

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Sep 27, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SEATTLE — The sunshine made Sunday afternoon seem like summer for another day with the forlorn hopes that it and the baseball season wouldn’t end.

The cold wind swirling through T-Mobile Park was a bitter reminder that the warm days are gone and it will be another fall in the Pacific Northwest without baseball.

For the Seattle Mariners and their fans, the 2026 season was an epic failure, ending prematurely after 162 regular-season games. There were expectations of a second straight American League West title and the franchise’s first appearance in the World Series.

With their 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, the Mariners finished with a 76-86 record. It’s their worst record since the 2019 season.

It was a day of goodbyes with change ahead.

A few hours before the first pitch was thrown by Logan Gilbert, manager Dan Wilson announced to players and staff that he won’t be returning to manage in 2027.

Wilson’s departure wasn’t unexpected given how the team performed this season. Sources in the organization indicated that changes were going to be made to the field staff with Wilson and multiple coaches let go.

A sellout crowd of 44,761 filled T-Mobile Park to say goodbye to venerable radio announcer Rick Rizzs, who was calling his final game after 41 seasons. It gave the Mariners an unofficial season attendance of 2,883,798 — the highest total since 2004.

It was a weekend of tears and celebration of Rizzs’ time with the organization. He will be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame next year. The Mariners current Hall of Famers, including Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Alvin Davis and Jamie Moyer have been at T-Mobile all weekend as part of the celebration.

Wilson also allowed fans to say goodbye to longtime shortstop J.P. Crawford, whose contract is up after the season.

Prior to the first pitch in the top of the fifth, Wilson called timeout to have Leo Rivas replace Crawford at shortstop.

After hugging his teammates in the infield, Crawford, the longest-tenured player on the Mariners roster, exited the field to a standing ovation.

Before the top of the seventh, Wilson had Michael Arroyo replaced Randy Arozarena in left field to a standing ovation. Arozarena, who was the Mariners’ top hitter this season, is also a free agent after the season and is expected to test the open market.

Gilbert was perfect through four innings, retiring all 12 hitters including eight by strikeouts. But when he walked Moises Ballesteros, Wilson removed him from the game. Gilbert finished with 205 strikeouts in 186 innings pitched.

Offensively, the Mariners got run-scoring singles from Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor and a two-run double from Arozarena.

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