The Seattle Mariners are coming off an ACLS appearance, and while they were so close to making the World Series, they now have to restart the long climb to the AL Championship.
But with Cal Raleigh and a ton of other stars, they should be able to, at worst, make a strong push to return to the postseason. Beyond the stars, however, are some incredible talents.
MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince listed two Mariners players on his All-Underrated Team for 2026. While Raleigh, Josh Naylor, and Julio Rodríguez get all of the attention, these two players will be key contributors for the Mariners in 2026.
Mariners have 2 of MLB’s most underrated players
Two players on the Mariners roster were named to Castrovince’s All-Underrated Team for the 2026 MLB season. Those two players are shortstop J.P. Crawford and designated hitter Dominic Canzone.
J.P. Crawford
“The bottom line is that this guy has been an above-average offensive performer at a premier position for the better part of the past five years,” Castrovince writes.
Crawford is a veteran shortstop who’s been playing for the Mariners for the last seven seasons. He’s turned around a career that might’ve been a bust in Philadelphia into a standout career in Seattle.
He’s a great defender, evidenced by his Gold Glove in 2020, and his offense has also been solid for Seattle. Over the last five years, Crawford has a 108 OPS+, meaning he’s 8% better than the league average hitter.
That’s already a solid player, but when combined with good defense at the most important position in the field, Crawford’s easily one of the more underrated players in baseball.
To put his offensive performance into perspective, Castrosvince noted how only Trea Turner (124 OPS+), Francisco Lindor (123 OPS+), and Willy Adames (111 OPS+) were better among shortstops with at least 700 games played the last five years.
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Dominic Canzone
“But let’s salute Dominic Canzone for a fine, albeit limited 2025,” Castrovince writes. “He slashed .300/.358/.481 in 269 plate appearances in 82 games. He was the left-handed side of a platoon, and he did good damage against righties (10 homers, 10 doubles, 12 walks).”
While the options for an underrated designated hitter weren’t as strong as some other positions, Canzone is still a worthwhile inclusion on the All-Underrated Team for 2026.
The Mariners DH is a lefty hitter who mashes right-handed pitching. This season, in 185 at-bats against righties, Canzone had an .879 OPS, compared to a .712 OPS against lefties in 58 at-bats.
While he’s a much better right-hitting DH than against lefties, he’s still good enough to keep in the lineup against left-handers than some other platoon bats.
The 28-year-old slugger might not be as talented as other DHs around the league, but his production against right-handed pitching makes him one of the more deadly hitters in baseball in a platoon matchup.
Both Canzone and Crawford are big pieces of the Mariners success, and while the trek back to the postseason will be a long one, both of these players on MLB.com’s All-Underrated Team will play big roles for Seattle this upcoming season.
