The presence of a healthy Jorge Polanco made a big difference for the AL West champion Seattle Mariners through their 90-win season.
He may be even more important now in the playoffs.
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The switch-hitting second baseman was essentially Seattle’s second-best hitter behind only Cal Raleigh during the 2025 regular season, slashing .265/.326/.495 for an .821 OPS with 26 home runs, 30 doubles and 78 RBIs in 138 games.
Polanco caught fire twice during the year, too – once at the beginning of the season (.395/.434/.816, 1.250 OPS over his first 24 games) and again over the final 34 games (.333/.379/.667, 1.045 OPS).
It was the second hot streak where something stood out to MLB Network and Mariners analyst Ryan Rowland-Smith, who identified Polanco as a potential X-factor for the M’s in the playoffs.
“You are going to face really good pitching in the playoffs,” said Rowland-Smith, a former big league left-hander, on Monday to Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “… Especially the last couple of months, (Polanco) has been really good in two-strike counts and really good against plus-pitching.
“If you look at his numbers, the contact rate and the lack of swing and miss in two-strike counts in the last four to six weeks, man, it is off the charts. He’s one of the best in the game.”
The 32-year-old Polanco had a big bounce back in 2025 after a somewhat surprising re-signing with the Mariners late in the offseason. Polanco was hampered by a knee issue in 2024 and scuffled to the tune of a .213 average and .651 OPS following a trade from Minnesota to Seattle.
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Polanco has been much more himself in 2025, which certainly played a role in Seattle reaching the postseason – which will be the fifth for Polanco. In 12 career playoff games, all with Minnesota, Polanco is 9 for 43 (.209) with two home runs, eight walks and a .346 on-base percentage.
A key part of Polanco’s game is that he had an OPS over .800 hitting from either side of the plate this season, and his career splits are generally even, so he’ll be a tough matchup with the ability to hit for extra bases whether a playoff opponent has a right-hander or a left-hander on the mound.
“Polanco to me is going to play a huge role,” Rowland-Smith said. “He’s got that gap and home run threat.”
Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with Ryan Rowland-Smith in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Wyman and Bob from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.
More Seattle Mariners playoffs coverage
• A closer look at Seattle Mariners’ potential ALDS opponents
• ‘Ready to compete’: Julio looks forward to Mariners’ playoff run
• State of the Mariners: Where they stand heading into playoffs
• Mariners optimistic about Bryan Woo’s availability for ALDS
• Two key questions for Seattle Mariners in the postseason
