Baseball is very glamorous. Look at all the glamour franchises. The Yankees with their 27 rings. The Dodgers with their Hollywood luster. The Red Sox with their historic rivalries. But tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Mariners go quietly about their business. There is no media hype for the Mariners like there is for New York or Boston, and they do not have the payroll Los Angeles doe. And yet, year after year, the Mariners find new ways to compete, to fight and to be relevant.
So why does the baseball world not afford them the respect they deserve? Why is Seattle the "most underrated team in Major League Baseball"? Let's dive in and unpack it in detail.
A Franchise With An Emotional History
The Mariners have always represented much more than wins and losses as a franchise. The Mariners are about moments — magical evenings in Seattle when fans can reminisce about Ken Griffey Jr. vaulting himself up and over the Kingdome; Ichiro Suzuki recreating the possibilities of what a hitter could be; and Félix Hernández and his perfect game in 2012.
Even with legends, the Mariners always seemed to exist in the fog of our culture. The Mariners had the longest playoff drought in North American sports (2001-2021). The baseball world had a joking penchant for referring to the Mariners as the “forgotten” franchise. In reality, Mariners fans have always been loyal, filling T-Mobile Park; standing by, supporting them at any stripe.
Loyalty is exactly the purpose for today's Mariners to receive all the attention. They carry the de facto weight of a city, and the pride of generations of fans.
The 2025 Mariners – A Team on the Rise
The 2025 Seattle Mariners are far from a “middle-of-the-pack” squad. They are stacked with young talent, balanced veterans, and fearless pitching.
Key Strengths:
Julio Rodríguez (J-Rod): The pinnacle of the franchise. At only 24 years old, his already an MLB star. Together, he has energy, power, speed, and charisma which makes him a legitimate cornerstone of the franchise.
Cal Raleigh: Appropriately nicknamed the “Big Dumper,” Raleigh is especially insane behind the dish, and shows he can hit too, considering he has over 40 home runs. Overall, his bat is getting announced throughout MLB offer and offer.
Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby — Yeah, they might not be big-market aces you think to have on your roster, but these guys can deal, and when they do.... it's electric. Bryan Woo was especially nice to watch throw his gem with 9 strikeouts the other night! He has some big strikeout potential and he's not alone.
With Andrés Muñoz shutting things down late in games, Seattle is a very strong team when it has a lead late in games, and complemented with a strong bullpen, none of which has ever been as good as their starting 1-4.
Seattle has a record of 68-54 in 2025 as activity is active, interestingly play-off competitive, which shows this team isn't an rebuilding operation — it's about to 'break out' with more assets than it can almost fathom.
Why They’re Underrated
So, what makes the Mariners the underappreciated team in comparison to other teams? We argue there are a few major reasons:
Geography Bias: tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, the Mariners in a relative sense do not have the same attention from New York, LA, or Chicago. It's about sodium median viewership, and late-night games don't always deliver the national TV viewership.
The absence of Championships: We have seen players who have tremendous talent but if you are never a champion it is usually a reason the other fans (not in Seattle) dismiss in part the M's championships in theory.
Patently overshadowed with Julio Rodriguez being a superstar, Julio consistently lacks the ESPN highlight treatment, press coverage, tweet visibility to Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani.
Small-Market Image: Seattle does not carry a "big spender" reputation in the league even though they have submitted a roster that can compete with any team in the MLB.
Mariners Vs. Big-Market Teams
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Mariners Fans – The Unsung Heroes
Listeners of the Mariners cannot discuss the underrated aspects of the team without mentioning their fans. Mariners fans are among the most loyal fans in all of sports. Their fans waited over 20 years for a playoff game and still showed up, still cheered, and still bought jerseys.
So when Seattle finally broke its playoff drought of 21 years in 2022, tears flowed at T-Mobile Park. Generations of fans who have never seen postseason baseball finally had their day. That emotion is still there — fans feel like every win is now a part of the new bigger story.
Even now, Mariners fans have distinguishable chants, signs, and family culture. For many, Mariners baseball is not only just sport — it is a way of life.
Human Touch – Stories Beyond The Box Score
Every team has statistics, but Seattle has stories.
Stories of Julio Rodríguez visiting local schools, encouraging young kids to dream big.
Cal Raleigh is dedicating home runs to his dad, embracing and reminding fans of the family element of sports.
The emotional connection of Félix Hernández ("King Félix") with fans is still evident in the way the city accepts its pitchers today.
These stories may not matter nationally, but they matter to Seattle - and show why the Mariners' spirit is bigger than baseball.
That’s four in a roWWWW. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/MFkb34JlMF
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 10, 2025
The Road Ahead – Mariners’ Future Potential
The Mariners are looking not just at the here and now. Their farm system produces talent, with many young players poised to break into the majors. The Mariners' front office has created a culture of patience, player development, and strong scouting.
As long as this young core can stay healthy, Seattle could become a team that consistently contends for the playoffs, and maybe even be in the running for that first World Series trophy.
Why 2025 Could Be Their Year
The Mariners have the AL Wild Card in their sights.
They have picked the right time for the rotation to be heating up.
The offense has been potent over the last month or so, most recently racking up 20 hits and 18 runs against Atlanta.
The locker room is speaking like team with belief, confidence, and energy.
If they keep this momentum, Seattle might really shock the baseball world by going on a run in October.
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