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State of the Seattle Mariners: What stands out at All-Star break

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State of the Seattle Mariners: What stands out at All-Star break


After such a promising start to the road trip, the Seattle Mariners are skidding into the All-Star break on the heels of maybe their most frustrating series of the season.

Mariners select switch-pitcher with first-round pick in MLB Draft

The Mariners began their Southern California trip last week with a two-game sweep of the San Diego Padres and an 11-0 thrashing of the lowly Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

But things quickly turned after that.

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On Friday night, the Mariners lost 6-5 on a walkoff two-run home run by Willie Calhoun in the 10th inning. On Saturday night, they fell 2-1. And on Sunday afternoon, they blew a late lead and lost 3-2 after Jo Adell hit a three-run homer in the eighth. Three games, three agonizing one-run losses to one of the worst teams in baseball.

Here’s a look at what stands out for the M’s heading into the All-Star break.

Seattle Mariners standings update

Remember back on June 19 when the Mariners held a massive 10-game lead atop the American League West? That sure seems like a long time ago now. Seattle (52-46) enters the break with just a one-game division lead over the Houston Astros (50-46) and a five-game advantage over the Texas Rangers (46-50). Buckle up, because the final two and a half months could be quite a race in the AL West.

Hitting woes continue

The Mariners had two big offensive outbursts this past week, racking up eight runs and 13 hits against the Padres on Tuesday and 11 runs and 15 hits against the Angels on Thursday. However, those performances came with some major caveats: Seattle scored nearly all of those runs against a Padres rookie starter who entered with a 7.52 ERA, an Angels rookie who was making his MLB debut and an Angels long reliever who was making his season debut.

In their other four games this past week, the Mariners mustered a total of just 10 runs. On Wednesday, they managed just two runs and four hits against the Padres. And over the final 25 innings of their weekend series against the Angels, the M’s totaled just four runs against a pitching staff that has the third-worst ERA in the majors. The series ended with a dismal showing on Sunday, when Angels long reliever Carson Fulmer struck out seven of the 17 Mariners he faced in his season debut. Seattle was no-hit through five innings and finished with 15 strikeouts. It was the eighth time this season that the Mariners have struck out 15-plus times.

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Heading into the All-Star break, Seattle ranks 28th in runs per game (3.87), dead-last in batting average (.219), 25th in on-base percentage (.300), 28th in slugging percentage (.367) and 28th in OPS (.667). The Mariners also have far and away the highest strikeout rate in the league at 28.1%, which is two full percentage points higher than the next-closest team. Seattle has been held to three runs or fewer in 50 of its 98 games, including 14 times in its past 23 games.

Julio heating up

Julio Rodríguez is finally starting to look like Julio Rodríguez. After a perplexing first half of the season, the Mariners’ 23-year-old slugger seems to be rediscovering the superstar form that made him one of baseball’s brightest young talents over his first two MLB seasons. Since July 4, Rodríguez is batting 16 for 30 with three homers and three doubles. To put that in context: He has six extra-base hits in his past 30 at-bats. Prior to that, he had just 13 extra-base hits in 344 at-bats this season. If this is indeed a turning point for Rodríguez, that would be a major boost for Seattle’s struggling lineup.

Cal’s massive week

The other bright spot for the Mariners’ offense this past week was Cal Raleigh. The 27-year-old catcher blasted five homers over the first four games of the road trip, twice homering from both sides of the plate in the same game. During that four-game span, he went 8 for 17 with six extra-base hits. He also picked up his fifth stolen base, making him a perfect 5 for 5 on stolen-base attempts this season after swiping only one bag combined over his first three MLB seasons.

Raleigh has 20 home runs at the break, which ranks 13th in the majors and is three more than any other catcher in baseball. He also has throw out an MLB-leading 23 base-stealers, which is three more than the next-closest catcher. His five stolen bases are also tied for the MLB lead among catchers.

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Gilbert caps first half in style

One week ago, Logan Gilbert was named to his first All-Star Game. The 27-year-old right-hander then backed up his selection with two more brilliant outings. Last Tuesday against the Padres, Gilbert took a shutout into the seventh inning and finished by allowing just three runs and four hits in 7 2/3 strong frames. He then tossed seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Angels on Sunday, while racking up nine strikeouts and no walks en route to his MLB-leading 16th quality starts.

Gilbert has posted a 2.79 ERA and an MLB-best 0.87 WHIP in 132 1/3 innings this season, while totaling 124 strikeouts and 25 walks. He leads the majors in innings pitched, ranks fifth with a .191 opponent batting average and is 10th in ERA. He has allowed one earned run or fewer in 10 of his 20 starts and has thrown seven-plus scoreless innings four times, including three times in his past six outings.

Seattle Mariners’ one-run magic has flipped

Seattle had excelled in one-run games earlier this season, but it’s been the opposite over the past 10 days. The Mariners have lost five consecutive one-run games, dropping three straight one-run games to the Angels this past weekend and back-to-back one-run games to the Toronto Blue Jays the previous weekend. Seattle is now 19-14 in one-run contests this year.

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Up next

After the All-Star break, the Mariners open the unofficial second half of the season on Friday with a massive three-game against the Astros at T-Mobile Park. It will be the third of four series between the AL West rivals this year and could go a long way to determining the division title. Seattle is 5-2 against the Astros this season.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Seattle Mariners MLB Draft Tracker: Keep up with every 2024 pick
• How Mariners prospects did in MLB Futures Game
• The Mariners player who doesn’t want All-Star break to happen
• Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz added to AL All-Star team
• Seattle Mariners Trade Targets: Three bats from within AL West





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Seattle, WA

Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population

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Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population


As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.

The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.

RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail

The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.

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A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.

“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.

She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.

She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.

RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns

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“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.

The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.

Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.

“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.

RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews

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She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without

“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”

The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.

The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.



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Seattle weather: Hot and sunny day Wednesday, highs in the 80s

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Seattle weather: Hot and sunny day Wednesday, highs in the 80s


Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.

Today's Highs

Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. 

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Fire Weather Watch

A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.

Fire Danger

A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. 

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What’s next:

An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.

Thursday Showers

An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms. 

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Looking Ahead:

High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.

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Seattle Extended

High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. 

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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.

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Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #17 Grey Zabel

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Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #17 Grey Zabel


After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.

Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.

Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?

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Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.

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There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.

Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?​

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Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.

Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.

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