ESPN’s Kurkjian: Mariners a ‘better team’ than last year

The expectations are as high as they’ve ever been for the Seattle Mariners entering the 2026 season.

A former Mariners blogfather now helps shape their roster

The M’s are among the favorites in the American League and have a shot securing a few important firsts for the franchise. They can win back-to-back division titles for the first time, reach their first World Series, and, of course, win it all for the first time.

The road won’t be easy during a grueling 162-game schedule, and there will be plenty of stiff competition in the AL between the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and others. But longtime ESPN MLB insider Tim Kurkjian, who recently joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, believes the M’s have what it takes to reach new heights this year.

“I got asked the other day who’s the second-best team in baseball. Obviously, people think the Dodgers are the best, and I do too. But I think the Mariners are in that conversation for being, right now, the second-best team in baseball,” Kurkjian said. “Now they’ll have to go out and prove it for 162 games, but this team almost went to the World Series last year, it upgraded in the offseason, and if they can keep their rotation healthy for a full season, this is a really good team.”

The Mariners’ rotation health has already taken a bit of a hit with Bryce Miller’s status for opening day in question due to an oblique injury, but Kurkjian still likes what the team has to put together as a whole after what he deemed as a successful offseason.

“I don’t see any glaring weakness for the Mariners,” he said. “I love what they did in the offseason with some of the people they picked up. Brendan Donovan, of course, is going to be a critical player for them at multiple positions, even though he can play second base every day. Rob Refsnyder is really going to help. I love that they didn’t trade any of their really good, young starting pitchers because they’re going to need them all.”

“The Mariners would be a great story to get to the World Series. It’d be an even better story if they won the World Series,” Kurkjian added. “I’m not rooting for them, I just root for a good story, and I think it’s about time in that beautiful ballpark and that beautiful city that this team does something really, really exceptional. They came awfully close last year, and I think they’re a better team than they were last year.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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