Believe has been a strong phrase behind the Seattle Mariners fanbase, especially when it comes to their hopes on a successful baseball season. 

Ever since their introduction into the MLB, it has not fared well. Seattle is the only MLB team to never make it to a World Series, and the last time they had won the AL West division was in 2001 before I was born.

What makes this team special is the amount of all-around talent and clutch factors. It also helps that they have an AL MVP candidate in Cal Raleigh who has broken multiple MLB records for home runs as a catcher. The names of talented hitters on this Mariners roster is what I think will push them over the hump. 

Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and a stacked rotation will get this team what they have never had in their existence: a championship win. 

AL Wild Card CLE vs DET – Looking ahead into the entire playoff bracket for the MLB starting with the AL between the series of the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians, I personally believe that the Cleveland Guardians will get the best of the divisional foe over the past month. The Guardians have been on a hot streak compared to the Tigers who have been very cold. The Guardians all around have an amazing rotation compared to the Detroit Tigers, but having the Cy Young candidate in Tarik Skubal could give the advantage in a best of three series. The Guardians hitting needs to stay consistent and find ways to take advantage of the days that Skubal is not playing for the Tigers. 

AL Wild Card BOS vs NYY – Moving into the next series is between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The Yankees narrowly lost their division to the Toronto Blue Jays, but that does not mean that they are one of the most talented teams in the American League. I have the New York Yankees winning the series, but with some great pitching that could change. Garrett Crochet can change this series when he goes up against Max Fried, but what it will truly come down to is the bullpens of each team. If the bullpens do not perform, each team can have their season end early. Aaron Judge and the Yankees hitting should get them over this series with a win. 

NL Wild Card LAD vs CIN – Now moving into the national league wildcard series, the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers- in my opinion this will not be a contest. The Cincinnati Reds barely made it into the playoffs going 83 and 79 compared to the Dodgers who somewhat limped their way in with many bad performances from their relievers. Going into the postseason, though, I think the Dodgers will turn it into a different type of playoff mode. Their hitting becomes much better and their starters have already been amazing with another Cy Young candidate in Yoshinoobu Yamamoto. And of course, they have the best player in the world in Shohei Ohtani who makes their odds of making it to the next round pretty high. 

NL Wild Card SD vs CHI – The final wildcard series is between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs. I personally believe that the Chicago Cubs have an all around better team than the Padres do, and the Padres have had a very up and down season with stretchy pitching and hitting between the different months. The Cubs have a couple different clutch factors to their team, even though there’s not many big names as there have been in the past like 2016. I think the Cubs have a “clutch” factor that the Padres don’t have. Last year’s Padres seemed to me to have more energy and excitement than this year’s team, and the Padres have had a rollercoaster of a season. Looking great in some parts, and then being dominated in series against division rivals. I have the Cubbies moving on to the NLDS. 

ALDS SEA vs CLE – Between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners, I already said previously, the Mariners are going to win this due to amazing pitching and hitting all around their lineup. The Guardians hitting has been great, but in the season series between the two the Mariners got the series win. The fire power the Mariners have is unmatched from the Guardians, and both the combination of a dominant rotation and bullpen will move the Mariners on to the next round.

ALDS TOR vs NYY – The next series in the ALDS is between the one seed Toronto Blue Jays and their division rival in the New York Yankees. Their race at the end of the season was very close, but Toronto, also holding the series tiebreaker, has an advantage on them. But I do see the Yankees pitching, led by Max Fried, being better than Toronto. Especially with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., being one of the sole proprietor movements in their offense. So I have the Yankees playing against the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS. 

NLDS PHI vs LAD – For the National League, it’ll be a great matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. This is going to be one of the best series this postseason. I personally have the Los Angeles Dodgers, but this series could go either way. The Phillies have looked unbeatable and dominant, with the Milwaukee Brewers, but I think the Dodgers, similar to last postseason, will kick it in a second gear with their relievers taking a jump from the regular season pitching. I think that the normal rotation will be on fire as they have been throughout the year, helping them beat the Phillies in a tough series. 

NLDS MIL vs CHI – Moving in the final ALDS series, it’s between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. Now, I do love the Chicago Cubs, but I think the Milwaukee Brewers are too good and too powerful for the Cubs to handle. The Brewers looked like the most dominant team in baseball in the regular season, and I can see that continuing this series. I think this one will be actually a pretty easy series for the Brewers, and they will move on to the ALCS. 

ALCS SEA vs NYY – Moving on to the ALCS, I think that the Seattle Mariners will beat the New York Yankees after so many years historically, where the Yankees got the better of the Mariners consistently in the postseason specifically. The Yankees dominance of baseball and its history have included dumping off the Mariners in 2001 after they got to 116 wins. I think this Seattle squad will grab revenge for that team 24 years ago, and the Seattle Mariners, for the first time in their franchise history, will make it to a World Series. 

NLCS MIL vs LAD- For the NLCS, I predict that the Los Angeles Dodgers will make it back to the World Series over the Milwaukee Brewers. I think that having the best player in the world, along with many veteran talents that are so good at hitting and a solid rotation, will get them past the Brewers. What it will come down to is the reliever pitching against the stacked hitting of each team, and I think the Dodgers bullpen will find a way to clutch up more playoff wins similar to last year. 

The World Series SEA vs LAD-  I think it’ll be the Seattle Mariners versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in late October. And what a better way to end a storybook season than to “Go and win the whole f—ng thing?” I got the Seattle Mariners winning the World Series. In seven games, Cal Raleigh will win the World Series MVP, hitting three home runs through seven games.

Seattle will have another championship parade, and for the first time it will be for a baseball team. After an exciting playoffs all-around, the Mariners historic season led by possible MVP Cal Raleigh ends the 48-season-long drought, giving the Mariners the pennant in their 49th year.

The Evergreen Sports Section Predictions – 

Gaige Anderson – Seattle Mariners

Smith Slye – Philadelphia Phillies

Douglas Wood – Brewers

Abe Daniel – Los Angeles Dodgers

Conner Orr- San Francisco Giants (he claims they’ll win from elimination bracket)

Ben Walker – Seattle Mariners

Levi Coovert – Los Angeles Dodgers