The Seattle Mariners’ 2026 season carries significant weight. Coming off their most successful year since 2001, the Mariners are aiming for the top. They are determined to not just repeat their 2025 success, but to take it all the way.
The Mariners’ expect many key players who helped with their success to return for the 2026 season to provide both field and clubhouse stability. However, two players who struggled in 2025 could bounce back. Both Victor Robles and Luke Raley could rebound and play a heavier role in Seattle’s future. The two were instrumental in 2024, and a bounce back from either, or ideally, both, could be the difference between playoff contention and a championship run.
Victor Robles
Both heroics and hardship defined Robles’ season. On April 6, he sprinted 113 feet in just 6.2 seconds, diving into the netting at Oracle Park for a catch. Devastatingly, he dislocated his shoulder in the process. He was carted off the field and sidelined until August 23, leaving a major hole in the Mariners’ lineup.
Robles then ran into trouble during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma. He received a 10-game suspension for throwing his bat toward an opposing pitcher. Following an appeal, they reduced the suspension to seven games. The absence was felt both on the roster and on the field. Back in 2024, Robles was the team’s most productive hitter. His speed, power, and defensive versatility are difficult to replace, and Seattle just wasn’t the same team without him.
During his suspension, Robles revealed in an Instagram post that he had unexpectedly lost his mother during the summer. It was a difficult year, both on and off the field. A full 2026 bounce back season would be crucial for Robles and the Mariners alike.
Luke Raley
As Robles battled injury and personal tragedy, Raley filled in at right field, only to suffer setbacks of his own. In April 2025, Raley suffered a right oblique strain during batting practice. He was out from April 28th until June 20th. Later, a back spasm that was likely related to his original injury landed him on IR from July 30th, where he remained until August 15th. He finished the season having played just 73 games.
Raley, known for his strength and positivity, remained optimistic despite the injury.
“Sometimes they heal really quick, and sometimes they linger and take a while,” Raley said. “So it’s just more like I can’t really start doing anything until just the symptom of, when I’m standing here, or like coughing or sneezing, it’s really painful. Until that calms down, I’ve just got to kind of wait.”
Raley’s 2024 season has shown what he is capable of. Twenty-two home runs, 11 stolen bases, a 128 OPS+, and a 3.2 WAR highlighted him as a versatile, above-average offensive player. If he plays at that level in 2026, he could be crucial to the Mariners’ season.
Both Robles and Raley demonstrated in 2024 that they have the talent to impact games in multiple ways. If they are able to bounce back, the Mariners will not only have a shot to repeat as AL West champions but could finally make a deep playoff run in pursuit of the franchise’s first World Series.
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