Here are 4 questions Mariners face after reaching top of AL West | Analysis

With a three-game sweep of the A's in West Sacramento, the Mariners finally moved into first place in the American League West - a place they were expected to be since the first pitch of the 2026 season.

It hasn't been a smooth ascent to the top of a division where a .500 record isn't required.

But when you've underachieved for much of the season, style points in success are overrated.

The Mariners have gotten to where they should've been in the standings and now they need to find a way to remain there and lengthen their lead.

What can be taken away from the previous road trip?

Well, it was more of the same frustrating inconsistency. How inconsistent?

The Mariners are the only team to win a series against the Braves this season. They also went 1-5 against the Royals.

Seattle was a Mitch Garver homer away from being swept in the three-game series vs. the Royals, who came into that series having lost 11 games in a row.

The Mariners were sloppy in the field, careless on the bases and overly aggressive at the plate. Manager Dan Wilson often talks about "playing good baseball." The Mariners displayed the antithesis of it.

So of course, they rolled into Sutter Home Park and played their best baseball of the season, sweeping the A's, who had previously been leading the division, outscoring them 22-4 and looking more like a team that was expected.

To paraphrase the philosopher and poet Eminem, "Will the real Seattle Mariners please stand up?

Even with Cal Raleigh and Brendan Donovan on the injured list and not expected to return in the immediate future, the Mariners have still moved closer to a level of roster stability that has been missing since the first week of the season. Victor Robles' return has provided a much-needed upgrade in the outfield and an energy on the bases.

With Gabe Speier back, they have their five best leverage arms available in the bullpen, giving Wilson a variety of matchup options in leverage situations.

Perhaps what's most promising for fans and the Mariners when it comes to sustaining success, the issues that were leading to struggles are controllable in certain ways. Baserunning mistakes and fielding miscues on routine plays are correctable. A better approach at the plate is also something that can always be improved, relatable to the pitching they're facing.

Seattle's schedule through June 26 features 16 games against teams with losing records and six against the Pirates and Nationals, who are unexpectedly hovering right around .500 thus far.

Will this be the last piggyback start for Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo?

It doesn't have to be. The Mariners could still use the strategy for another turn or two. Yes, the players don't like it. Yes, the fans don't care for it. But it has worked on some level, regardless of the widespread disenchantment.

Both Miller and Castillo have remained stretched out enough where either could start. And they've both pitched effectively in the evolving/rotating roles.

Of course, scoring nine runs in a game helps make any pitching strategy effective.

Perhaps the best thing the Mariners did was have meetings after the last piggyback start in West Sacramento. The biggest fault in this situation has been a perceived lack of communication, particularly in the implementation of the strategy, the goals for it and the scheduling of it.

In this sort of situation, over-communication solves a lot of problems. Instead, the Mariners under-communicated to the point where Miller asked the writers if they knew if he was starting or relieving against the A's. That should never happen.

But if the Mariners continue to win games and both pitchers work effectively, why change it? Yes, neither likes it. But winning cures a lot of problems. The Mariners could also go to a modified six-man rotation for a brief period and re-slot the starters when they embark on a three-city road trip in the Eastern time zone, featuring 10 games in 10 days bookended by off-days. There is also a stretch of 12 games in 13 days in late June to early July that could make it feasible.

When will J.P. Crawford and Colt Emerson swap positions?

When Crawford went to Wilson and said he would move to third base, it seemed like the swap would be immediate. Crawford assumed as much as well. But the Mariners won't make the move until they feel comfortable with Crawford's fundamentals at the position.

And if they don't feel comfortable, they will put off making the switch.

Crawford has struggled with throws from shortstop this season. He dealt with shoulder inflammation in spring training and most recently dealt with some discomfort after getting hit by multiple pitches in the triceps.

But infield coach Perry Hill continually preaches that throwing errors usually stem from footwork issues. If the feet are bad, it puts the arm and body in a bad position to throw - resulting in some of the wayward arm-side misses from Crawford.

While the throw from third base is technically easier than shortstop, it does require some different footwork. And while Crawford played third base with the Phillies as a rookie, his entire ground-ball fundamentals have changed under Hill, requiring some adjustments.

Emerson's range at third base, particularly moving to his glove side, should allow for the Mariners to change up some of their defensive positioning slightly to offset Crawford's diminished range to the hole.

When will Jerry Dipoto make his first trade?

When the Giants traded catcher Patrick Bailey to the Guardians for left-handed pitching prospect Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson on May 9, even Dipoto was surprised at the timing. Trades don't usually happen before Memorial Day weekend as teams are still trying to self-scout themselves to determine their strengths and weaknesses and their internal depth. Also, only a handful of teams usually make the determination to be sellers this early in the season.

The Mariners have yet to really play an extended stretch with their anticipated roster. Robles went on the IL on the first road trip of the season and Donovan has played in only 18 games this season. Of course, when Raleigh and Donovan are ready to return, the Mariners will have a logjam of contributing players on the roster. Emerson's emergence at third base complicates matters a little more. Somebody is going to lose playing time. Perhaps, a version of the piggyback to go with platoons will be unveiled.

The easiest place to upgrade is in the bullpen. Adding another right-handed reliever with the ability to generate swings and misses would be beneficial.

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 4:59 PM.