Mariners hungry for 1st World Series appearance

SEATTLE (AP) — The day after longtime Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs announced he will retire at the end of the 2026 season following his 41st year in the Seattle booth, he pleaded for the team to win the World Series this fall. And at the Mariners' fan fest Saturday at T-Mobile Park, countless key players from last year's team, which came within one win of the franchise's first World Series appearance, echoed the same sentiment. Perhaps nobody's tune was louder than that of star center fielder Julio Rodríguez, who spoke on behalf of the club. "I think this year is going to do wonders for us," Rodríguez said. "I think we're all in a better place." Seattle brought back many important contributors from last year's team, which went 90-72 and won the franchise's first AL West title since 2001. It won't just be catcher Cal Raleigh, who became the seventh player in major league history to hit 60 homers in a season, returning to the Emerald City. There's also first baseman Josh Naylor, who agreed to a five-year, $92.5 million contract with the Mariners in November. Naylor endeared himself to Seattle's fan base with his aggressive style while hitting .299 with nine home runs and 19 stolen bases in 54 games after being acquired at the trade deadline. "I can't wait to spend a full season here, make some great memories," Naylor said. "My goal is to win a World Series every year, and (I) really want to try to do that for this city and this organization and everyone involved." Still, the sting of a disappointing finish to a banner season continues to haunt various Mariners, just as it did in October in the days shortly after they were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. At the very least, though, it set a precedent for what the Mariners expect of themselves in 2026 and beyond. Seattle starter George Kirby, who was third on the team in wins (10) last year, thinks getting to the ALCS should be the standard for this group moving forward. "Getting to where we did, I feel like that's the floor for us this year," Kirby said. "Anything else kind of doesn't cut it." Mariners manager Dan Wilson, entering his second full season at the helm, expressed a similar level of confidence in his team, which returns five players who were worth at least 3.8 Wins Above Replacement last season, according to baseball-reference.com. Perhaps unsurprisingly, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander didn't add many players to Seattle's roster. While veteran infielder Jorge Polanco — who had 26 home runs last season — left via free agency for the New York Mets, the Mariners did add outfielder Rob Refsnyder, who hit .269 with nine home runs and an .838 OPS in 70 games last year. Slugging third baseman Eugenio Suárez, obtained in a July trade, remains a free agent, so Seattle could turn to 25-year-old Ben Williamson, who was a rookie last year, to man the hot corner. Otherwise, the Mariners will be putting their faith in a core led by Rodríguez, Raleigh, Naylor and right-handed starting pitchers like Kirby, All-Star Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller. "I love this group," Wilson said. "To have that core continue to be together, you can add pieces to that as we have. And I think Jerry and Justin do an outstanding job of that. And the pieces, because there's a core, the pieces fit in pretty quickly. I don't anticipate that being any different." It remains to be seen how Refsnyder and prospects like Williamson, fellow young infielder Cole Young and others will slot into Seattle's plans. The 2025 season remains one worth celebrating, but as Raleigh put it, the Mariners must build off what they already accomplished, or risk last year turning into a one-hit wonder. "What we're trying to accomplish here is winning a World Series and setting the standard, the bar, the expectations super high," Raleigh said, "because that's where we want to be. I think that's kind of the way we're looking at it." ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb