MLB Insider’s In-Depth Look at 2025’s Most Likely Postseason Newcomer

With October baseball well underway, some of that attention turns to teams that narrowly missed out on the festivities. Teams including the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Diego Padres were teams who missed the postseason last year but are currently in it this year. Among the 18 teams who didn’t qualify this year, the Seattle Mariners are generating buzz as a potential 2025 breakout team. The Mariners are poised for a 2025 postseason surge, says Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

The Mariners Are the Team to Watch in Next Year’s Postseason

Bowden ranked the Mariners as the top non-postseason team from 2024 to likely succeed in 2025. His in-depth analysis highlights the team’s strengths, weaknesses and key factors that could propel them to contention.

Despite boasting the best rotation in baseball with a 3.38 ERA, the Mariners missed the playoffs due to an underperforming offense that ranked 21st in runs scored and 30th in strikeouts. The Mariners replaced Scott Servais with Dan Wilson, revamped their hitting coach staff, and added Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner via midseason trades. Seattle must balance elite pitching with improved, contact-oriented offense to reach the postseason.

Bowden’s list ranks the Mariners first, but also identifies other teams poised to make a postseason push. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds round out Bowden’s top five.

3 Positions Mariners Need to Address

ESPN’s Jeff Passan appeared on Brock and Salk, offering insights on how the Mariners can achieve greatness.

“They get a first baseman, they get a second baseman, they get a third baseman. Simple as that. You’ve got your outfield taken care of, you can rotate people around at DH, but I think a remake of that infield is necessary.”

Passan mentioned available free agents at each of those positions this winter.

“The free agent first baseman are going to be Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan O’Hearn and Rhys Hoskins. Those guys will be ranging from $5-$8 million per season. At third base, you have Alex Bregman, and that’s pretty much it unless you put Willy Adams there going from shortstop to third base. At second base, there’s Gleyber Torres and a few others you might not want to sign. Maybe Ha-Seong Kim, but he’s injured. Wilmer Flores, is another guy who is more of a platoon option. Brandon Drury, coming off a horrendous year. Adam Frazier, is not the impact type player you want.”

The Mariners’ 2025 success hinges on balancing elite pitching with a revamped, contact-oriented offense. With key free agents available and a retooled infield, Seattle is poised to join the Yankees, Mets, and Padres as teams that bounced back from postseason absence to contention.

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