Three stretches in schedule could define the Mariners’ season

Feb 12, 2025, 12:01 PM | Updated: 5:31 pm

Seattle Sports

With the first workout for pitchers and catchers on Thursday, spring training is underway for the Seattle Mariners.

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The 2025 season is shaping up to be a big one for the Mariners as they attempt to get another postseason appearance out of this window of contention. After back-to-back seasons of falling just shy of the playoffs, Seattle surely knows the importance of every game throughout the grueling 162-game MLB schedule. But some games are more important than others, and the M’s have several dates on their schedule that stick out.

With opening day just 43 days away, here’s a look at three stretches that could define the Mariners’ 2025 season.

The key points of the 2025 M’s schedule

• March 27-May 7: This stretch of 36 games starting with opening day is important for a couple of reasons. The most obvious is that getting out of the gates quickly would of course be beneficial to the Mariners. A fast start doesn’t necessarily mean a playoff berth. Just ask the 2019 Mariners, who started the season 13-2, or the 2024 Mariners, who led the American League West by 10 games on June 18. But after two straight seasons of just missing the playoffs, getting in a favorable position could be just what the team needs to spark a playoff run. Heck, maybe it would even win over many of the fans disappointed by a stagnant offseason.

The second part of the equation here is that Seattle plays quite a few games against AL West rivals during this stretch – 18 to be exact, which is 12 more than the team’s first 36 games last year, and one more division game than the team played in the first 36 games of the past two seasons combined.

The M’s face the Texas Rangers six times (three at home, three on the road) and the Houston Astros three times (at home) during the stretch. Additionally, 12 of the 18 division games are at T-Mobile Park. Seattle was much better at home (49-32) than it was on the road (36-45) last season, so it would seem that this is a good opportunity the M’s to put themselves in the driver’s seat of the division.

Our 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ schedule is here!

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— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 18, 2024

• June 27-July 23: This stretch somewhat lines up with the timeframe of the Mariners’ historic collapse last season, and it could end up being the most challenging part of their season once again. However, it won’t be because they’re underperforming against the Angels.

Seattle faces an imposing gauntlet during this 22-game window, with 16 of the games coming against 2024 playoff teams and three more against the Rangers. The M’s also match up with the Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers and Astros here. Even the one series against a team that’s projected to be in the bottom half of the league (three against the Pittsburgh Pirates) could be challenging if those games fall on days where ace Paul Skenes and the top of the Pirates’ rotation are pitching.

If the Mariners play well during this stretch and are in favorable playoff position on July 24, they should have the front office convinced it’s time to go all-in at the trade deadline.

• Sept. 16-21: If Seattle finds itself in the playoff picture come September, every game will be important until an “x” (and preferably a “y”) is next to its name in the standings. But the consecutive three-game road sets the M’s play against the Royals and Astros during the penultimate week of the season could very well end up holding the greatest importance of any games in the final month. Both were teams the Mariners were trying to chase down last September, and they’re projected to be in the AL playoff hunt once again in 2025.