So, what’s the best season in Mariners history?

There aren’t a ton of options to choose from, being that the majority of the franchise’s history has seen seasons that are more forgettable than memorable.

But even so, the seasons that made our list hold a special place in the lore of sports history in the Pacific Northwest, with some resonating beyond the just regional importance and finding their rightful place in baseball history.

This top five list is only one opinion and why it’s open for robust debate. And the hierarchy of this list could be all moot if the expectations for season No. 50 all come true.

Before we get into the top five, here’s a quick look at three honorable mentions:

1977: The return of baseball

Nine years after the Pilots debuted and then left for Milwaukee, the Kingdome was crammed for Diego Seguí’s first pitch and, as Dave Niehaus called it, the “maiden voyage” of the Mariners was born.

1997: The team that underachieved

The Mariners won their second division title in three years. Ken Griffey Jr. was the AL MVP with 56 homers and 147 RBI. Randy Johnson went 20-4 and finished second in the Cy Young voting. And yet, the M’s were thumped out of the ALDS in four games by Baltimore. It might have been the most talented M’s team until now but fell short in October.

2000: The season of transition

Griffey was gone. Alex Rodriguez was on his way out after the season. Ichiro had yet to arrive. The M’s were in a transition phase and still went on to win 91 games, beat the White Sox in the ALDS before losing to the eventual champion Yankees in the ALCS in six games.

Now for the top five:

No. 5: 1991 — The first winning season

The foundations of what eventually became the AL West champs four years later really started to take root in 1991 when the M’s finally finished with a winning record for the first time in their 15th season. The M’s finished 83-79. Ken Griffey Jr. hit .327 and drove in 100 runs. Edgar Martínez established himself as an emerging hitting wiz a year before he ended up leading the league in hitting. Jay Buhner became the full-time starter in right field. Randy Johnson struck out 228 batters on the season and truly became the ace of the M’s staff. It took a few more years and a number of additional pieces for it to all come together, but what happened in the unforgettable season 1995 can be easily traced back to the success the Mariners first tasted in 1991.

No. 4: 2022 — Ending the drought

Before Cal Raleigh became the first catcher to do a whole bunch of stuff that had never been done before and should have won the AL MVP, he provided the swing that ended the 21-year playoff drought. To be fair, Raleigh’s walk-off against the A’s on Sept. 30, 2022, provided the victory that clinched a playoff berth and ended more than two decades of Seattle as a playoff desert. But the M’s had done plenty to get themselves to that point. Raleigh became the man behind the plate. Julio Rodríguez was rookie of the year. Eugenio Suárez was the provider of good vibes, the first time around. Logan Gilbert and George Kirby established themselves in the rotation, and Luis Castillo arrived to be the ace of a playoff push.

Remember how close this season was to being like so many others where the Mariners fell short? They were 10 games under .500 in mid-June, and it took an improbable 14-game winning streak to change their fortunes. They were never close to being the best team in the AL West that season, but they were the team that finally ended the playoff stigma.

No. 3: 2001 — Record wins; Ichi-mania; playoff shortcomings

Seems blasphemous to have the season where the Mariners tied the major-league record for wins stuck at No. 3. There’s a real argument to be made that this should be No. 1. But it comes down to what you value — success in the regular season or the playoffs?

There is no argument that 2001 is the best regular season ever and if not for the events of Sept. 11, the M’s probably do set the major-league record for wins and maybe do roll through the playoffs. The phenomenon of Ichiro took baseball by storm, and a perfect blend of offense and pitching created a regular season juggernaut the likes of which baseball hadn’t seen in nearly a century.

But it was a team built for the regular season and not the playoffs, and it showed, getting knocked out of the ALCS by the Yankees in five games and falling short in seeing that regular-season success carry over into the playoffs.

No. 2: 2025 — Eight outs away

There could be some recency bias that comes with this answer, but as the only franchise in baseball to never reach the World Series, coming closer than any other team in Mariners history makes No. 2 feel like the right spot on this list. Of course, that means valuing the run in the playoffs over the longevity of the regular season, but ultimately how you get into October doesn’t matter — playing as long as possible in that month does.

The Mariners went to Toronto with a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series needing just one win to claim the pennant. In the decisive Game 7, they had the lead with eight outs to go. It doesn’t get much closer than that for reaching a pinnacle never seen before.

Aside from coming so close to finally reaching the promised land of the World Series and winning the first AL West title in 24 years was the emergence of true foundational stars that transcended beyond just the Pacific Northwest. The phenomenon of the “Big Dumper” took over a massive segment of baseball. Rodríguez continued his ascent as maybe the best current center fielder in the game. Bryan Woo finished fifth in Cy Young voting. In 2022, the M’s were the plucky underdogs who finally ended the drought. In 2025, they were the cool team reaching the cusp of something special.

No. 1: 1995 — The season baseball was saved

Writing about the legacy and the aura of what happened 31 years ago feels overwrought. How many times can all that took place in 1995 be acknowledged and celebrated and recognized before it starts to dimmish the significance of what happened? But when determining the order of most important seasons in franchise history, it feels impossible not to list 1995 as No. 1. The rally from 12 1/2 games behind. The one-game playoff against the Angels. The first AL West title. The first playoff berth. The first playoff series win. The double. The three months that set a course for saving baseball in Seattle. The best way to describe its importance — three of the other four seasons on this list never happen if not for what took place in 1995.  

What took place in 1995 should forever hold the top spot on this list — until the day arrives the M’s hoist an American League champions banner and find themselves finally playing in a World Series. It could be as soon as this year.