Travis and Ryan break down a week that tested every M's fan — from the darkest record since 2011 to right back in the AL West race in four days. That's baseball.

🏥 Injury News & Roster Moves JP Crawford is back and already clutch — he's tied the team walk-off record. Victor Robles back on the IL, Schneider on paternity leave, so Patrick Wisdom gets the call from Triple-A.

🌾 Down on the Farm Cade Anderson is dealing — 11 K's in 5 innings in his last Double-A start. The guys dig into the logjam: if Bryce Miller returns and Emerson keeps rolling, something has to give. Six-man rotation? Trade? Move Emerson to the pen? Colt Emerson projected for a May call-up.

😤 Anaheim — The California Nightmare

• G1 (W 3-1): Woo dealt. Cole Young breaks it open in the 10th.
• G2 (L 1-0): Zack Neto leadoff homer — that was all she wrote. Jo Adell robbed Cal, Naylor, AND leaped into the stands to rob JP. Three robberies. Greatest defensive outfield game we've ever watched against us.
• G3 (L 8-7): Offense scored seven but Luis gave up six and the bullpen gave up more. Brutal finish.

😤😤 Texas — Four Losses, Four One-Run Games

• G1 (L 2-1): Cal's first career homer. deGrom and the pen did the rest. Gilbert wasted again.
• G2 (L 3-2): Donovan leadoff bomb. Still not enough. Third straight one-run loss.
• G3 (L 2-0): Two hits. Two. Four and nine. It was dark in Arlington.

☀️ Houston Home Stand — The Cure

• G1 (W 9-6): Season-high 9 runs. Three in the first on walks and chaos. Randy two-run bomb breaks it open.
• G2 (W 8-7): Down 7-2, came all the way back. Cal's first homer at T-Mobile. Julio's first homer of the year. JP walks it off with a bases-loaded single.
• G3 (W 6-1): Walked until the cows came home. Julio extends his on-base streak.
• G4 (W): Nails goes nuclear — back-to-back homers. 13 hits. Kirby goes 7.2. Back to one game under .500.

🌍 Around the League Dodgers are 12-4 being Dodgers. Everyone else is bunched up. Rangers lead the AL West at 9-7. Blue Jays and Astros rotations are in shambles. Pirates and Reds quietly hanging around. Cubs gave up 14 to Philly.

🔭 Looking Ahead Padres (10-6) in town — soft schedule but a real lineup. Woo goes tonight. Jackie Robinson Day tomorrow. Then Rangers at home for redemption, followed by the A's. Travis wants a win streak. Ryan says take it one series at a time. Either way — stay on the roller coaster.

Thanks for listening to The Nautical 9. Find us wherever you get your podcasts.

The Nautical 9 | Episode 5 April 3, 2026

MARINERS NEWS The Mariners sign top prospect Colt Emerson to an 8-year, $95M extension before he's played a big league game. We weigh the risk, the precedent, and where he might slot in when he gets here.

OPENING HOMESTAND RECAP (3-4)

vs. Guardians — 2-2 split Thu 3/26: Guardians 6, Mariners 4 | Fri 3/27: Mariners 5, Guardians 1 | Sat 3/28: Guardians 6, Mariners 5 (F/10) | Sun 3/29: Mariners 8, Guardians 0 (NBC)

Emerson Hancock threw 6 no-hit innings in his season debut on Sunday Night Baseball. Rotation looked sharp. Bullpen is a work in progress.

vs. Yankees — 1-2 series loss Mon 3/30: Mariners 2, Yankees 1 (walk-off) | Tue 3/31: Yankees 5, Mariners 0 | Wed 4/1: Yankees 5, Mariners 3

Cal Raleigh — off the bench after a brutal Cleveland series — delivered a walk-off single in Game 1. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler were filthy in Games 2 and 3. The Mariners rallied late in the finale but couldn't close it out.

STORYLINES

• The WBC hangover is real — Julio, Randy, Cal, Muñoz, Bazardo, and Bizzarro all slow out of the gate
• Brendan Donovan doing his job at the plate, still finding his footing at third
• Cole Young is the early surprise — lefty at-bats, big hits, highlight-reel defense at second
• The Mariners have been under .500 in the opening homestand three of the last four years
• Bullpen usage questions — why isn't Dan going to Brash and Spire in key spots?

AROUND THE LEAGUE Chase DeLauter (CLE) homered twice in his first regular-season career game. Murakami (CWS) went deep 3 times in 3 games. JJ Wetherholt (STL) homered for his first big league hit, then walked off the Rays the next day. McGonigle (DET) had 4 hits on debut day. Walk-off grand slams from Dom Smith and Drake Baldwin. Blue Jays opened with back-to-back walk-offs vs. Oakland.

ABS SYSTEM — EARLY TAKES We're both into it. The crowd reactions are electric. Early standouts on the challenge system: 'Geno Suárez and Salvi Pérez. CB Buckner is having a rough week. Two things it still needs: a 3D plate model and an egregious-miss override when teams are out of challenges.

LOOKING AHEAD AL West road trip — Anaheim and Texas. Woo, Hancock, and Castillo on the bump. JP Crawford off the IL and on the trip. Warmer weather, the ball will carry, and Julio loves hitting in Anaheim.

Show Notes:

Baseball is almost here! Travis and Ryan kick off Episode 4 on the eve of the 2025 MLB season, diving into everything Mariners and beyond as Opening Day arrives.

In this episode:

• Opening Day hype — Giants vs. Yankees on Netflix tomorrow, then the full slate drops Thursday morning with early games. It finally feels like Christmas Eve.
• Mariners rotation talk — Logan Gilbert gets the ball on Thursday. Where does the rotation shake out behind him? Kirby, Emerson, and what it means for the staff.
• Lineup construction — Cole Donovan as the true leadoff guy they've been missing, Luke Raley's bounce-back potential, Cole Young absolutely raking in spring, and whether this is finally Julio's year from Game 1.
• Colton not making the club — Was it performance? Or just giving a 21-year-old more seasoning? Either way, expect to see him this year.
• The Mariners TV situation — RootSports is dead. Mariners.TV is the new brand. Will your cable login work in the MLB app? We're all finding out Thursday morning.
• Streaming chaos — Netflix, Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon Prime... how are casual fans supposed to find a game anymore?
• WBC wrap-up — Great pitching, cold bats, and a loss that still stings. Why do international teams just seem to want it more?
• AL/NL whip-around — Division winners, wild card picks, Dodgers three-peat talk, and why the Phillies might finally break through in the NL.
• Bold 2025 predictions — Cole Young as breakout player, Cal Raleigh hitting 51 home runs, Brian Wu as a sneaky Cy Young dark horse, and a Mariners 101-win season prediction.

Final picks: Mariners vs. Tigers in the ALCS. Mariners vs. Phillies in the World Series. Mariners win it.