​SEATTLE — Yes, I’ve made the trip to the Pacific Northwest for this three-game series. If you’re going to the games check BCB social media later, I’ll post my seat location.The Mariners made the ALCS last year and came within an agonizing Game 7 of making their first World Series.Now they’re struggling to stay near .500.Also of interest, especially with all the rain in Chicago this summer: The Cubs’ next six games will be indoors, in Seattle and Arizona.For more on the Mariners, here’s Kate Preusser, manager of our SB Nation Mariners site Lookout Landing.There are a lot of bad Mariners seasons to compare it to, and obviously recency bias is a thing, but it’s hard to think of a worse season from a Mariners fan perspective. After advancing further in the playoffs than ever before last season, the Mariners — and their fans — came in to 2026 with understandably high expectations. The team had what most fans considered a solid off-season, as well, replacing Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez with Brendan Donovan, coming to terms on a long-term deal with trade deadline acquisition and immediate fan favorite Josh Naylor, and adding depth to the bullpen. These improvements, along with a young core, strong farm system, and weakened AL West, made the Mariners early pre-season favorites for a repeat run into the postseason.Instead, everything that could go wrong, has. Donovan has missed most of the year after re-injuring the same injury that kept him out last year. That and injuries to J.P. Crawford forced the promotion of top prospect Colt Emerson before he had significant seasoning at Triple-A, and the young shortstop struggled, eventually being returned to Triple-A last week (in happier news, so far his replacement, utilityman and unheralded minor leaguer Brock Rodden has been doing quite well). Injuries have been a bugaboo on the season – there isn’t a member of the starting lineup that hasn’t missed time with some injuries, including Cal Raleigh, going on the IL for the first time in his career. Raleigh has cratered a year after being runner-up for AL MVP, and the suspicion around Seattle is the oblique injury that held him out early in the season still isn’t quite right. Naylor, who’s been dealing with a wrist injury, also hasn’t been able to repeat his sterling start in Seattle. although his bat has heated up lately. The only member of the starting lineup who’s been consistently available and productive has been second baseman Cole Young, whose breakout season has been one of the only positive aspects of the 2026 season, along with a career year from Randy Arozarena, who will be a free agent at the end of the season.The injury bug carries over to the pitching, as well; setup man Matt Brash has missed all of the season, straining an already-thinned bullpen, and even spring training standout Cooper Criswell has been out of action for months. Carlos Vargas, another late-inning arm, has also been on the IL all season. By c