Cubs and 3 biggest winners in playoff probability changes this month

3. The Mariners have increased their playoff odds by 20.60% since August 1

There was a point in the year where the better part of all of Major League Baseball had given up on the 2023 Seattle Mariners. No matter how well their pitchers threw, their lineup just didn’t keep up and it had dropped them further down the standings than they would have liked.

Then as the trade deadline drew closer, the Mariners decided to be conservative sellers, trading away a few smaller pieces of their team. This led many to believe that their 2023 season was over and FanGraphs agreed, giving them just an 18% chance to make the postseason, entering August.

Seattle kept with this idea, dropping the first game after the trade deadline. But since that 6-4 loss to the Red Sox, the Mariners haven’t lost a game. They’re riding an eight-game winning streak that’s still active at this point. Their pitching staff has allowed three or fewer runs in seven of these eight wins, including five consecutive games of two runs or less.

Over this hot streak, the Mariners have climbed into the AL Wild Card race and seen their playoff odds more than double, jumping to 40% as of today. The season is far from over, but the Mariners’ hot start to August has put them in a place that nobody imagined. If they can continue this, they’ll have their chance to make some October magic.