The 2001 Season

Seattle Mariners season 2001 was the 25th since the team’s founding. The Mariners ended the season with a 116–46 (.716) record, matching the 1906 Chicago Cubs’ major league record for victories and breaking the American League’s previous victory mark. In 59 of those victories, the margin of victory was four or more runs, a new record. For the second year in a row, they topped the majors in both runs scored and allowed.

Ichiro Suzuki’s debut in the Major Leagues in 2001 was particularly remarkable, as the Japanese outfielder led the league in hitting average and was named AL Rookie of the Year and MVP. Moreover, the Mariners hosted the All-Star Game for the second time this year.

There have been no more consecutive playoff appearances for Seattle Mariners since their wild card berth in 2000, which was their first postseason appearance since 2001. They defeated the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series but lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series in a thrilling five-game series.

While the Mariners achieved a franchise-record victory total in 2001, it was the first time in the team’s history that they advanced to the postseason. This is the longest active playoff drought in the four major North American professional sports.