Mariners vs LA Dodgers: Why This Interleague Clash Just Hits Different Now

Honestly, if you told a Mariners fan three years ago that a late-season series against the Dodgers would feel like a heavyweight title fight, they’d probably have asked what you were drinking. But here we are. It is January 2026, and the dust is still barely settling on a 2025 season where these two teams essentially occupied different planets in the same baseball galaxy.

The Seattle Mariners finally did it. They took the AL West. They watched Cal Raleigh—the "Big Dumper" himself—clobber 60 home runs to break Ken Griffey Jr.’s franchise record and basically redefine what a modern catcher can do. On the other side? The Dodgers just keep being the Dodgers. They spent the 2025 season proving that Shohei Ohtani hitting 55 homers is somehow "normal," then they went out and won back-to-back World Series titles.

Now, as we look toward the 2026 schedule, the Mariners vs LA Dodgers matchup isn't just a random interleague date. It's a barometer.

The September Sweep That Left a Mark

A lot of people look at the final weekend of the 2025 regular season and just see three games. I see a wake-up call. The Mariners entered that series at T-Mobile Park red-hot, having just clinched the division and ousting the Astros. They were 17–2 in their last 19 games. They felt invincible.

Then the Dodgers rolled into Seattle and reminded everyone why they’re the gold standard.

They swept the Mariners. It wasn't even particularly close. Clayton Kershaw, in the final regular-season start of his legendary 18-year career, absolutely dismantled the Seattle bats for 5.1 scoreless innings. It was a masterclass in "old man" pitching—sliders that bit just enough and a standing ovation from a sellout Seattle crowd that knew they were witnessing history.

The Dodgers outscored Seattle 14–6 over those three days. Shohei Ohtani capped it off with his 55th home run in the finale, a screaming line drive that felt like a punctuation mark on the regular season. For Seattle, it was a reality check. You can win 90 games and a division title, but the Dodgers are the final boss of Major League Baseball.

Why the 2026 Matchup is Terrifying for Pitchers

If you think the offenses were scary last year, just look at what happened this month. The Dodgers didn’t just sit on their rings. They went out and signed Kyle Tucker to a massive 4-year, $240 million deal. Adding Tucker to a lineup that already features Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman is basically like bringing a flamethrower to a water balloon fight.

Predicted Dodgers 2026 "Death Lineup"

• Shohei Ohtani (DH): The man is a literal cheat code.
• Mookie Betts (SS): Still the highest baseball IQ in the league.
• Freddie Freeman (1B): The metronome of professional hitting.
• Kyle Tucker (RF): The $60 million-a-year missing piece.
• Will Smith (C): People forget he’s an All-Star because everyone else is a Hall of Famer.

Seattle isn't exactly rolling out a Triple-A squad, though. They’ve built their identity on a rotation that is arguably the deepest in the American League. Logan Gilbert is coming off a year where he struck out over 32% of the batters he faced. George Kirby still refuses to walk anyone. And Luis Castillo is still "The Rock" at the top.

But the real story is Cal Raleigh. He is the first primary catcher to hit 60 home runs. Let that sink in. He finished 2025 with a 9.1 fWAR, which is MVP territory for anyone not named Ohtani. When the Mariners vs LA Dodgers games pop up on the calendar this year, the matchup between Seattle's power arms and the Dodgers' "billion-dollar" lineup is the best theater in sports.

Misconceptions About This "Rivalry"

People love to manufacture rivalries. Usually, the Mariners' biggest beef is with the Angels or the Astros because, well, geography and history. But the Dodgers? It’s a different kind of friction.

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Some fans think there's a "natural" West Coast rivalry here because of I-5, but it’s more about the "Ohtani Factor." Remember, Seattle was one of the finalists for Shohei back in the day. Every time he homers in Seattle—which he does, a lot—there’s a subset of fans who still feel that "what if" sting.

Also, don't sleep on the Teoscar Hernandez connection. Teoscar was a fan favorite in Seattle before heading to LA and winning a World Series. Seeing him celebrate in Dodger blue while the Mariners struggled to find a consistent outfield bat for half of last season was a tough pill for the Emerald City to swallow.

Pitching Depth: The Great Equalizer?

Seattle's path to beating LA isn't out-slugging them. You can't out-slug a team that has four guys capable of 40 homers. You beat them with the "Control the Zone" mantra that Jerry Dipoto has preached until he’s blue in the face.

In that final 2025 series, Bryce Miller got tagged for four earned runs in four innings. That can't happen in 2026. Seattle's young arms—Miller and Bryan Woo—have to take that next step into "ace" territory to keep the Dodgers' lineup from turning every game into a 10–2 laugher.

The Dodgers' rotation is actually the one with the question marks. Kershaw is gone. Roki Sasaki is the new shiny toy, but he’s still adjusting to the MLB grind. Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are elite, but they’ve had their shares of "innings limit" conversations. If Seattle can drag these games into the 7th inning and get into the LA bullpen, they have a chance.

What to Watch for in the Next Series

When these two teams meet again, pay attention to the "small ball" moments. The Dodgers are incredibly efficient at moving runners, even with all that power. Seattle, under Dan Wilson, has become more aggressive on the basepaths. Randy Arozarena stealing 30+ bags has added a dimension to this Mariners offense that was missing for years.

The Mariners vs LA Dodgers showdown is no longer just a cross-league curiosity. It’s a measuring stick for a Seattle team that has finally climbed the mountain of the AL West but still finds the Dodgers standing on a much higher peak.

Actionable Insights for the 2026 Matchups:

• Track the Pitching Matchups Early: If Logan Gilbert is slated to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, clear your schedule. That’s a Cy Young preview.
• Watch the Umpire's Zone for Cal Raleigh: Cal's 60-HR season was built on elite plate discipline. If he’s getting squeezed early, the Mariners' offense tends to stall.
• Monitor the Dodgers' Outfield Rotation: With Kyle Tucker in the mix, watch how Dave Roberts manages Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman. One of those high-priced bats will likely be on the bench, which tells you everything about their depth.
• Check the Velocity Trends: Roki Sasaki and George Kirby represent the future of "power vs. precision." Comparing their Statcast data after their head-to-head starts will reveal who's actually winning the development war.