Seattle Mariners facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Seattle Mariners
2025 Seattle Mariners season
Established in 1977
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
American League (1977–present) West Division (1977–present)
Current uniform
Retired numbers	11 24 42
Colors
Navy blue, metallic silver, Northwest green, royal blue, yellow, cream
Name
Seattle Mariners (1977–present)
Other nicknames
The M's
Ballpark
T-Mobile Park (1999–present) Kingdome (1977–1999)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	None
AL Pennants (0)	None
West Division titles (3)	1995 1997 2001
Wild card berths (2)	2000 2022
Front office
Principal owner(s)	John Stanton
President	Kevin Martinez (President of Business Operations)
President of baseball operations	Jerry Dipoto
General manager	Justin Hollander
Manager	Dan Wilson

The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team from Seattle, USA. They play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the American League (AL) West Division. The team started in 1977 as a new expansion team. Their first home was the Kingdome. Since July 1999, the Mariners have played at T-Mobile Park in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood.

The team's name, "Mariners," comes from Seattle's strong connection to the sea and ships. People often call them the M's. This nickname was even part of their main logo from 1987 to 1992. In 1993, they changed their team colors to navy blue, Northwest green (like teal), and silver. Before that, they used royal blue and gold. Their fun mascot is the Mariner Moose.

The Mariners didn't have a winning season until 1991. Their most successful time was in the late 1990s. With amazing players like Hall of Fame members Edgar Martínez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, they reached the playoffs for the first time in 1995. They won their division and beat the New York Yankees in an exciting series. A famous moment was Martínez's "walk-off double" in Game 5, which helped them win the series and keep baseball in Seattle. They won their division again in 1997.

After Griffey, Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez left, the Mariners signed Ichiro Suzuki. In 2001, they won 116 games. This set a new record for the American League and tied the MLB record set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. The team didn't make the playoffs again until 2022. This ended the longest playoff drought in major North American sports.

As of As of 2024^[update], the Mariners have had a losing record in 30 out of 48 seasons. They are the only active MLB team that has never played in the World Series. This is the longest active World Series appearance drought in baseball.

Team History

The Mariners team was created because of a lawsuit. In 1970, the Seattle Pilots team moved to Milwaukee and became the Milwaukee Brewers. The city of Seattle and Washington state sued the American League. They believed Major League Baseball would return to Seattle soon. So, King County built the Kingdome, a large stadium. The Seattle Seahawks football team started playing there in 1976.

The name "Mariners" was chosen in August 1976. Over 15,000 people suggested names in a contest. Roger Szmodis from Bellevue, Washington suggested "Mariners."

The first home run for the team was hit by Juan Bernhardt on April 10, 1977. That year, pitcher Diego Seguí became the only player to play for both the Pilots and the Mariners. The Mariners finished their first season with 64 wins and 98 losses. They didn't have a winning record or finish higher than 4th place in their first 14 seasons. In 1979, Seattle hosted the 50th MLB All-Star Game.

In 1992, Nintendo of America bought the team. The CEO, Hiroshi Yamauchi, had never even been to a baseball game! He bought the team to thank Seattle for helping his company succeed.

Ken Griffey Jr. holds many batting records for the Mariners team.

Mariners logo, 1977–1979

Mariners logo, 1980–1986. This logo was first used for the 1979 MLB All-Star Game.

Mariners logo, 1987–1992

Before the 1993 season, the Mariners hired Lou Piniella as manager. He had led the Cincinnati Reds to win the 1990 World Series. Fans loved Piniella, and he managed the team from 1993 to 2002. He won two American League Manager of the Year Awards.

The Mariners first won their division and made the playoffs in 1995. This was surprising because star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. missed much of the season due to an injury. They beat the California Angels in a special playoff game to win the division. The Mariners returned to the playoffs in 1997 and 2000.

The 2001 Mariners had an amazing season, winning 116 games. This was the most wins in Major League Baseball that year. They easily won the American League West division. They broke the American League record for wins in a season and tied the all-time MLB record. At the end of the season, Ichiro Suzuki won the AL MVP and AL Rookie of the Year. He was the first player since 1975 to win both awards in the same season. The Mariners went far in the playoffs but lost to the Yankees in the 2001 ALCS. This was their last playoff appearance until 2022.

The Mariners won 93 games in 2002 but didn't make the playoffs. Manager Lou Piniella was traded after the season. They won 93 games again in 2003 but still missed the playoffs.

Inside the Kingdome, the Mariners' home from 1977 to 1999.

On October 19, 2010, the Mariners hired Eric Wedge as their new manager. On April 21, 2012, Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game against the Mariners in Seattle. It was the 21st perfect game in MLB history. Later that year, on June 8, Mariners pitchers threw a combined no-hitter. Six pitchers worked together, tying an MLB record. Then, on August 15, Félix Hernández pitched the first perfect game in Mariners history against the Tampa Bay Rays. This was the 23rd perfect game in MLB history. The Mariners became the first team to be involved in two perfect games in one season.

In 2016, Nintendo of America sold most of its ownership in the Mariners to a group led by John W. Stanton. Nintendo kept a small part of the team.

The team tried to win a championship with players like Robinson Cano, Félix Hernández, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. They came close but missed the playoffs. After the 2018 season, the team decided to rebuild, trading players for younger talent. They returned to being a strong team in 2021, winning 90 games. In 2022, with new stars like Julio Rodríguez, J. P. Crawford, and Luis Castillo, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2001. This ended the longest playoff drought in major North American sports. Rodríguez also won the American League Rookie of the Year Award. In 2023, the team won 88 games but missed the playoffs by just one game. In August 2024, manager Scott Servais was replaced by former catcher Dan Wilson.

Team Uniforms

Ruppert Jones wearing the Mariners' first uniform design.

Early Designs (1977–1992)

The Mariners' first colors were blue and gold, like the old Seattle Pilots team. From 1977 to 1980, their home jerseys were white with "Mariners" written on the front. The "M" looked like a trident. On the road, they wore light blue jerseys with "Seattle" on the front.

In 1981, they changed the uniform slightly. The trident logo was replaced with blue and gold stripes on the shoulders. The road jerseys became grey in 1985. The cap had a blue trident logo with a white star background.

Floyd Bannister in the 1981 Mariners uniform.

In 1987, the Mariners switched to traditional button-up jerseys. Both home and road uniforms had blue stripes and a block "Mariners" wordmark. The cap logo changed to a gold "S."

Scott Bankhead in the uniform design from 1987 to 1992.

Current Uniforms (1993–Present)

The Mariners started wearing their current uniforms in 1993. The home white uniform has "Mariners" in navy blue with Northwest Green trim. It features a "compass rose" logo on the "M." The road grey uniform has "Seattle" in navy with Northwest Green and white trim. In 2015, a silver outline was added to the letters and numbers. The main team logo is on the left sleeve.

From 1997 to 2000, the Mariners also wore sleeveless versions of these uniforms with a navy shirt underneath.

The Mariners also have Northwest Green alternate uniforms. The first version came out in 1994. They stopped wearing green uniforms from 1997 to 2010. Now, they wear them for some Saturday home games and road games if the home team wears navy or black.

James Jones and Ben Gamel in the Mariners' current uniform design.

The navy blue alternate uniform was first used in 1997. It had the team name in silver with Northwest Green and navy trim. In 1999, these uniforms were updated to show the city name with the compass rose logo. In 2003, the silver piping was removed. In 2012, the navy uniforms were changed again, with the city name on the front. Since 2024, they use block letters. They are now worn for most road games.

The navy blue cap has a ball and compass rose "S" logo. It's worn with the home white, road grey, and navy blue jerseys. A version with a Northwest Green brim is worn with the home alternate jersey.

Robinson Canó in the Mariners' cream alternate uniform in 2016.

In 2015, the team added a new cream-colored alternate uniform for Sunday home games. This "fauxback" uniform uses the old royal blue and gold colors. The cap also uses these throwback colors. The back of this jersey does not have the player's name.

For the 2023 season, MLB and Nike changed uniform rules. Teams now have a home uniform, an away uniform, two alternate uniforms, and a City Connect uniform. The Mariners decided to use their navy blue jerseys as their standard away uniforms. They also stopped using powder blue jerseys during spring training.

The Mariners' City Connect uniform celebrates Seattle's baseball history. It has a patch with Mount Rainier and "PNW" (Pacific Northwest). It also uses the team's first colors and has "Seattle" written like the old Seattle Pilots uniforms. This uniform is usually worn for Friday home games. For the 2025 season, the Mariners will have the Nintendo "racetrack" logo on their home jersey sleeve and the Nintendo Switch 2 logo on their away jersey sleeve.

Spring Training

The Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Arizona has been the Mariners' spring training home since 1994. They share this facility with the San Diego Padres. On March 25, 2013, the Mariners hit 52 home runs during spring training, a new team record.

Season Highlights

This section shows some of the Mariners' recent season records.

T-Mobile Park

T-Mobile Park has been the Mariners' home since July 15, 1999. It was known as Safeco Field from 1999 to 2018.

Mariners Hall of Fame

The Mariners Hall of Fame honors players, staff, and others who helped the team. It's located at the Baseball Museum of the Pacific Northwest in T-Mobile Park. The newest member, Félix Hernández, joined on August 12, 2023.

Key

Year	Year inducted
Bold	Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame
	Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Mariner
Bold	Recipient of the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award

Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame
Inducted	No.	Player	Position	Time with Team
1997	21	Alvin Davis	1B	1984–91
2000	—	Dave Niehaus	Broadcaster	1977–2010
2004	19	Jay Buhner	RF	1988–2001
2007	11	Edgar Martínez	DH/3B	1987–2004
			Coach	2015–2018, 2024
2012	6	Dan Wilson	C	1994–2005
			Manager	2024
	51	Randy Johnson	P	1989–1998
2013	24	Ken Griffey Jr.	CF DH/OF	1989–1999 2009–2010
2014	14	Lou Piniella	Manager	1993–2002
2015	50	Jamie Moyer	P	1996–2006
2022	51	Ichiro Suzuki	RF	2001–2012, 2018, 2019
2023	34	Félix Hernández	P	2005–2019

Retired Numbers

Edgar Martínez DH, 3B, Coach Retired August 12, 2017 Ken Griffey Jr. OF Retired August 6, 2016 Jackie Robinson All MLB Honored April 15, 1997

The Mariners have strict rules for retiring a uniform number. A player must have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and played for the Mariners for at least five years. Or, they must have been very close to being elected and spent almost their whole career with the Mariners.

Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 was retired on August 6, 2016. He was elected to the Hall of Fame that year.

Edgar Martínez's No. 11 was retired on August 12, 2017. Martínez played his entire career with the Mariners. His number was retired before he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jackie Robinson's No. 42 was retired across all of MLB on April 15, 1997. This was 50 years after he broke baseball's color barrier.

Ichiro Suzuki's No. 51 will be retired by the Mariners on August 9, 2025, after he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Numbers That Might Be Retired

Two other players meet the requirements to have their numbers retired: Randy Johnson and Adrián Beltré.

Johnson played 10 seasons with the Mariners. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015. His number 51 was later given to Ichiro Suzuki.

Beltré played five seasons with the Mariners. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2024. He wore number 5 and later 29. The Mariners have not said if they will retire his numbers.

Lou Piniella's number 14 was not given to other players for a while after he left. He has been close to being elected to the Hall of Fame.

The Mariners have not given out number 19 since Jay Buhner left the team in 2001.

Number 00 is not used for players because the Mariner Moose mascot has worn it since 1997.

Team Culture and Traditions

"Louie Louie" Song

From 1990 to 2021, the Mariners played "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen during the seventh-inning stretch. This song was very popular in the Northwest. The tradition started to help the new team owners connect with fans. On June 2, 1990, the Kingsmen performed the song live. That same game, Randy Johnson threw the first no-hitter in Mariners history.

For the 2022 season, the Mariners replaced "Louie Louie" with "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Some fans were not happy about this change. The Mariners stopped playing "Can't Hold Us" after Macklemore made comments at a concert in September 2024.

Buhner Buzz Cut Night

In 1994, the Mariners started a fun event called "Buhner Buzz Cut Night." It was inspired by Jay Buhner's shaved head. Fans who shaved their heads before the game, or were already bald, got a free ticket and a T-shirt. Hair that was 10 inches or longer was collected for charity. This event continued until Buhner retired in 2001. The club brought it back for its 30th anniversary in 2024.

Rally Fries

Boston Red Sox fans holding a sign asking for rally fries.

"Rally Fries" was a baseball tradition started by Mariners broadcaster Mike Blowers in 2007. During a game, a fan spilled his french fries trying to catch a foul ball. Blowers's partner, Dave Sims, suggested sending the fan new fries. Blowers agreed.

At the next game, fans made signs asking for fries too. It seemed that every time fries were delivered, the Mariners would score or make a comeback! This became very popular. Blowers would choose a person or group, often those in costumes or with funny signs. The fries usually came from Ivar's, a Seattle restaurant at T-Mobile Park. The "Rally Fries" promotion ended in 2012.

JROD Squad

The JROD Squad honors Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez. This group of fans usually sits in the center field seats. Fans who buy tickets for the JROD Squad section get a T-shirt that looks like a gold chain Rodríguez wears. Rodríguez often waves to them and throws them balls after innings.

Past Fan Sections

Area 51

When Ichiro Suzuki played right field, fans often called the seats in right field "Area 51." This was a fun reference to Suzuki's uniform number (51) and the secret government site.

King's Court

The King's Court was a special cheering section for pitcher "King" Félix Hernández. For every home game Hernández started, fans in the King's Court would sing, chant, and cheer. They wore yellow T-shirts and held up "K" cards (for strikeout) given by the team. The King's Court ended after Hernández left the Mariners in 2019.

Maple Grove

During the 2017 season, fans created the Maple Grove to celebrate Canadian pitcher James Paxton. At home games where Paxton started, fans sat under a Maple Grove banner. They even had a potted maple tree! When Paxton got two strikes on a batter, the Grove held up "Eh" Cards, a nod to Canada. The Maple Grove was created by fans, unlike the King's Court. It ended when Paxton was traded in 2018.

Team Rivalries

Division Rivals

The Mariners used to have a rivalry with the Oakland Athletics. More recently, they have a strong rivalry with the Houston Astros. Both teams often fight for control of their division.

Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels have had an on-and-off rivalry with the Mariners. Both teams often competed for playoff spots in the early 2000s. More recently, both teams have tried to end long playoff droughts. Players like Julio Rodríguez for Seattle and Shohei Ohtani for the Angels have made these games exciting. The Angels have won more games in this rivalry. In 2022, a big fight broke out between the two teams after an Angels pitcher hit a Mariners batter.

Houston Astros

The Mariners and Houston Astros have been fighting for their division title in recent years. In 2022, the Mariners made the playoffs and won their first series since 2001. But they lost to the Astros in the next round. There has been some tension between players from both teams. The Astros have a much better record against the Mariners.

Interleague Rivalry

The Vedder Cup

There is a unique rivalry between the Mariners and the National League's San Diego Padres. These teams play each other every year, except for 2017. They share a spring training facility in Arizona.

This rivalry is unofficially called the Vedder Cup. It's named after Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, who has ties to both Seattle and San Diego. He actually roots for the Chicago Cubs! Starting in the 2025 season, this rivalry will officially be called the Vedder Cup, with a trophy designed by Vedder himself.

Players

Current Roster

Baseball Hall of Famers

The following players who spent time with the Mariners are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Randy Johnson

Ken Griffey Jr.

Edgar Martínez

Ichiro Suzuki

Ford C. Frick Award Winners

Washington Sports Hall of Fame

Minor League Teams

The Seattle Mariners have six minor league teams where young players develop their skills.

Radio and TV Broadcasts

The Mariners' main radio station is KIRO-AM. Television games are shown on Root Sports Northwest, which the Mariners own. Some Mariners games are also shown in Canada.

The Mariners made changes to their broadcast team in 2025. Rick Rizzs is the main radio announcer. Aaron Goldsmith is the TV announcer, with a group of commentators including Angie Mentink and former players.

Dave Niehaus was the Mariners' announcer from their first season in 1977 until he passed away in 2010.

Team Records and Awards

Félix Hernández holds the team records for most wins (169) and strikeouts (2,524).

Season Records

• Highest Batting Average: .372, Ichiro Suzuki (2004)
• Most Runs: 141, Alex Rodriguez (1996)
• Most Hits: 262, Ichiro Suzuki (2004) (Major League Record)
• Most Home Runs: 56, Ken Griffey Jr. (1997, 1998)
• Most RBIs: 147, Ken Griffey Jr. (1997)
• Most Stolen Bases: 60, Harold Reynolds (1987)
• Most Wins (Pitcher): 21, Jamie Moyer (2003)
• Lowest ERA (Pitcher): 2.14, Félix Hernández (2014)
• Most Strikeouts (Pitcher): 308, Randy Johnson (1993)
• Most Saves (Pitcher): 57, Edwin Díaz (2018)

Career Records

• Most Home Runs: 417, Ken Griffey Jr.
• Most RBIs: 1,261, Edgar Martínez
• Most Runs: 1,219, Edgar Martínez
• Most Hits: 2,542, Ichiro Suzuki
• Most Stolen Bases: 438, Ichiro Suzuki
• Highest Batting Average: .321, Ichiro Suzuki
• Most Games Played: 2,055, Edgar Martínez
• Most Wins (Pitcher): 169, Félix Hernández
• Most Strikeouts (Pitcher): 2,524, Félix Hernández
• Most Saves (Pitcher): 129, Kazuhiro Sasaki

Images for kids

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  Mariners logo, 1977–1979

• 

  Mariners logo, 1980–1986. This logo was first used for the 1979 MLB All-Star Game.

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  Mariners logo, 1987–1992

See also

In Spanish: Seattle Mariners para niños