WATCH: Mariners’ Playoff Hopes Hanging By a Prayer, Is September Schedule Cooperating?
Still eight games under .500, Randy Arozarena and the Seattle Mariners somehow have plenty of life left in the dreadful AL West with one month to play after taking two out of three from the Red Sox in Boston.
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee breaks down the Mariners' remaining schedule for the rest of the 2026 regular season. Could a soft underbelly to wrap up the schedule be Seattle's saving grace? Or is it too little, too late?
Apple Cup Preview: Washington State Begins Kirby Moore Era Against No. 17 Washington
Washington State will officially begin the Kirby Moore era on the road when the Cougars take on the Washington Huskies in the Apple Cup, presenting a substantial challenge for the new coach as he tries to get his squad off to a fast start.
Moore will become Washington State’s third head coach in as many years, taking over a roster that has undergone significant changes throughout the offseason as they head into the first season competing in the new-look Pac-12 conference. With plenty of new faces on both sides of the ball, the Cougars will open the new campaign as a heavy underdog against a ranked Huskies team while looking to avenge last season’s loss.
What stands out as the Cougs prepare for their annual - at least for now - rivalry matchup in Seattle?
Pinnick at the Wheel for Washington State Offense
Caden Pinnick will take over as Washington State’s starting quarterback as the Cougars open the season with with plenty of changes on offense.
Pinnick, a transfer from UC Davis, was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and will be tasked with leading an offense that features a few noteworthy returners from last year’s squad, including a backfield with Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi all returning. The Cougars will also bring back their second and third-leading receivers from a year ago in Tony Freeman and tight end Trey Leckner. Leckner, however, will miss part of the season after suffering a foot injury.
Gonzaga Adds Seattle U Assistant Bryce Douglas to Coaching Staff
In an offseason full of unexpected departures in Spokane, the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ coaching staff became down a man late in the summer.
Jorge Sanz, who had been on the Zags’ coaching staff for the last eight seasons, took a position at UNC under first-year head coach Michael Malone. As GU’s former director of basketball operations, Sanz leaving for North Carolina is about as tough a loss for the program off the court.
Although the ‘DOBO’ role is still vacant for Gonzaga, it recently restocked to five assistant coaches under Mark Few. The Bulldogs added Bryce Douglas to its sideline staff, who most recently spent three seasons at Seattle University.
While Sanz specialized in building GU’s nonconference schedule and recruiting, particularly internationally, Douglas’ background is rooted in analytics. He has 15 years of combined experience at the professional and collegiate levels, while also dabbling in the international circuit.
Joining a staff that includes Brian Michaelson, R-Jay Barsh, Stephen Gentry, and Zach Norvell Jr., Douglas brings a different approach to analytics than what was previously in the building, filling a hole already in the coaching room rather than directly replacing Sanz. And with the inevitable retirement of Few on the horizon, Douglas was a hire likely co-signed by Michaelson, Gonzaga’s head coach-in-waiting.
WATCH: Behind Untested Jadarian Price, Is Seahawks Run Game Regular Season Ready?
Losing the Super Bowl MVP Ken Walker III in free agency, the state of the run game may be the Seahawks' biggest question mark as they prepare to defend their Super Bowl title.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith revisits Seattle's crazy rushing splits from the first to second half last season and examines how concerned fans should be about the team having similar issues early in the 2026 season with a new stable of backs led by rookie Jadarian Price and a new offensive coordinator in Brian Fleury calling plays.
Sounders Trade for DC United MF Caden Clark, Loan Osaze De Rosario to Denmark
The Seattle Sounders made one more move to close out the summer 2026 transfer window as it expired Wednesday afternoon, trading for 23-year-old DC United midfielder Caden Clark, as first reported by Niko Moreno of Sounder at Heart. The Sounders ship out a 2028 Superdraft second-rounder and pick up a contract for Clark with wages of over $400,000 this season and a club option for the 2027 sprint season and ensuing 2027-28 season.
Clark, who spent a season in the German Bundesliga three years ago, has played just seven games for United and has floated all over MLS since he started his pro career at 16 years old. He played a central attacking midfielder position primarily for DC last season, but should figure into the winger conversation in Seattle.
That’s because GM Craig Waibel and head coach Brian Schmetzer had hinted at the team having more moves in the pipeline after last week's big-name addition of striker Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas City. Waibel had said the team was looking for "speed in the channels" in particular, and reporting from Moreno confirmed the Sounders had a bigger name winger than Clark in mind, but the deal didn’t come to fruition.
Clark had eight goal contributions in just 12 games with the NY Red Bulls II of the USL Championship in 2020 before playing for the first team in MLS for over two seasons, notching 11 goal contributions in 47 games. His performance as teenager earned him a seven-digit transfer to RB Leipzig, but he never saw Bundesliga minutes in the 2022-23 season.
Clark, who spent a season in the German Bundesliga but didn’t play a game three years ago, has played just seven games for United this year and has floated all over MLS since he started his pro career at 16 years old. He largely played in the central attacking midfield for DC United last season, but will likely figure into the wings for Seattle.
That’s because GM Craig Waibel and head coach Brian Schmetzer had hinted at the team having more moves in the pipeline after last week's big-name addition of striker Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas City. In particular, Waibel had said the team was looking for "speed in the channels," and reporting from Moreno confirmed the Sounders had a bigger-name winger than Clark in mind but couldn’t get that deal done.
FIBA Women’s World Cup: How, When to Watch All Storm Players Competing
The Seattle Storm have four players competing in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup that begins on Friday, Sept. 4, in Berlin.
Dominique Malonga (France), Awa Fam (Spain), Ezi Magbegor (Australia) and Jade Melbourne (Australia) will all be playing for their home countries in the nine-day, 16-team tournament, which has all WNBA teams taking a short break from the season near its end.
Fam was the only Storm player who had her contract temporarily suspended by the franchise, as she reported to the Spain national team early. That forced her to miss Seattle’s final game before the FIBA break on Sunday, Aug. 30 — a 90-74 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks.
Malonga, Magbegor and Melbourne all played right up to the break.
The World Cup has four groups, each with four teams. Each team will play three games in the group phase, one each against the other teams in their group.
Analysis: Shane Wright, Seattle Kraken Need One Another After Rumor-Filled Offseason
Former top-five NHL draft pick Shane Wright and his camp reportedly were working on a trade from the Seattle Kraken early this offseason, and his time with the organization appeared to be coming to an end.
But with no movement yet on the trade front and training camp beginning later this month, it’s possible - if not probable - Wright at least starts next season in Seattle. And that could be best situation for his development and career.
Last season, the 2022 fourth overall pick played 74 games and finished with 24 points, good for ninth on the team. Wright averaged 13:48 of ice time, which was 10th among Seattle forwards. His ice time peaked in February, where he missed most of the month with injury, but averaged 15:40 of ice time through five games. Wright’s scoring and ice time dwindled alongside the Kraken’s playoff chances in the closing stretch.
While these numbers are underwhelming considering Wright’s promise and draft position, it’s in the player and organization’s best interest to play out this season. Wright has one year remaining on his entry level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer, and quite frankly, there’s two big reasons why staying put would serve him and the organization well in 2026-27.
“I Was Trying to Be Me”: Lazaro Montes Excels in MLB Debut, M’s Win 9-6
Yordan Alvarez comparisons had long since fallen out of favor for Lazaro Montes, at least in neutral outlets. Although his power was palpable throughout his minor league tenure (he had 38 homers between Double-A and Triple-A between the beginning of the year and his promotion on Sept. 1), his swing-and-miss proclivities were a sharp departure from the imposing contact rates of perhaps the most complete hitter among the current generation.
The jury still doubts that Montes will be sterling Alvarez, while he still has more work to do to prove whether he was called up at the right time. But there’s no disputing that the Mariners’ most recent call-up had one of the best debuts anyone could possibly ask for.
When a slicing fly ball to dead center disappeared into the triangular mass of fans in that particular nook of Fenway Park’s iconic grandstands, Montes became the first Cuban player since Alvarez to homer in his MLB debut. He became the 38th debutant in baseball history to log a least a homer, walk, and two total hits, joining a club inaugurated by “Frosty Bill” Duggleby in 1898 [1].
“I was trying to be me, be myself like they told me and like I learned,” Montes said after the game. “And giving 100% no matter what happens.”
Seahawks Star Leonard Williams Somehow Still NFL’s Most Disrespected Player
The nature of being a “12” is that of feeling consistently overlooked and underappreciated. Seattle isn’t the same media market darling like L.A., the Bay Area, or New York. The Seahawks don’t have the glitz and glamour of the Cowboys or the ironclad history of the Steelers.
What the Seahawks do have, however, is a franchise that has won two Super Bowls inside of 15 years and one of the loudest, most passionate fanbases in all of sports. Just like its fans, the Seahawks themselves have players that are consistently overlooked, underappreciated, and unheralded despite being among the best at their respective positions.
Lenard Williams has the résumé of a star and the recognition of a complementary piece. Part of the problem is the position itself and how we measure it. Interior defenders who do not pile up double-digit sacks every year get treated as role players even when they occupy two blockers and free everyone else. Even that description is disrespectful to what Williams means to Seattle’s now famous “Dark Side” defense.
WATCH: Why Seahawks Traded for Avery Smith, How Rookie Corner Fits Into Secondary Plans
Continuing to shuffle the deck in their cornerback room heading towards the start of the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks shipped a 2027 sixth round pick to the Chargers for Avery Smith as they trimmed the roster down to 53 players.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith examines why Seattle felt compelled to deal a draft pick for an undrafted rookie cornerback in Smith, where his strengths lie as he joins an evolving secondary, and how the ex-Toledo standout could potentially make an early impact on defense and/or special teams.
Mariners Officially Call Lazaro Montes to Show; Timely or Too Early?
With MLB roster expansion in September, the Mariners brought on two players to turn the 26-man roster into the 28-man roster for the final month. One was lefty Hoby Milner, who the Mariners picked on a minor league deal Monday after the Cubs released him, and the other was the team’s third-best prospect according to Baseball America.
There is no denying Lazaro Montes’ ceiling as one of the most powerful bats anywhere in baseball. On Aug. 22 in a game against the Sacramento River Cats, Montes cracked a single that left the bat at 116.3 miles an hour. Just 11 players have done that in the majors this year, and that list is something of a who’s who of the hardest sluggers in the game: the worst hitter of that bunch this year is Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose bizarre inability to hit the ball over the fence despite his eminent skill has led to a .679 OPS; he’s also the only one of those 11 hitters to sport a slugging percentage less than .400 this year.
That set of players has a fair bit more variation in their on-base percentages, however. Coby Mayo’s .284 means that his extra-base hits only improve him to something of a league average hitter on the whole, whereas Yordan Alvarez’ ridiculous .433 OBP highlights a hitting line that would fit in with Barry Bonds’ prime. At the top level, the difference is made by walks; Mayo walks just 7.1% of the time whereas Alvarez walks 15.8% of the time. Underlying this, however, are the items of plate discipline and contact rate; plate discipline to turn pitches outside of the zone into balls and walks and contact rate to force pitchers to avoid Broadway.
Here is where the question lies for Montes.
“Every season, you’re learning more,” the 21-year-old said a couple weeks after his call-up to Triple-A. “Every year, you’re learning more things that help you be more consistent. Not being perfect, because only God is perfect, but yeah, finding yourself, figuring yourself out more, and achieving that consistency you want.”
Noah Igbinoghene Among Several Ex-Seahawks to Land With New Teams
While the NFL institutes a hard deadline for teams to get their rosters down to 53 players after the conclusion of the preseason, the churning of rosters across the league continues for several days leading up to Week 1.
For Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, making as many transactions as possible post-cutdown day has been a source of pride for the organization, as he believes it to be an integral part of building the best roster and practice squad possible. As rules have changed, so has the strategy for the reigning Executive of the Year, including leaning in on the ability to place as many as six vested veterans with four or more years of experience on the practice squad, allowing the team to protect more of their talented young players from the waiver wire as a result.
On that front, the Seahawks terminated the contracts of eight veterans as part of Sunday’s roster bludgeoning, including cornerback Trevon Diggs, safety D’Anthony Bell, and running back Velus Jones Jr., hoping to retain as many of those players who weren’t exposed to waivers as possible either on the practice squad or re-signing to the active roster.
“Having the six veterans on the practice squad has enabled us to not expose certain players to the waiver wire. And yeah, it's a strategy for the initial 53 cut,” Schneider explained after Sunday’s initial cuts. “And then as well as what we're going to look like in the middle of October and then trying to be as strong as we possibly can and as deep as we possibly can with a combination of older and younger players down the stretch, end of November, December, January, hopefully February.”
Will Apple Cup Continue Past 2028? Like Everything Else in College Football, It’s Complicated
With its future uncertain, the Apple Cup kicks off this Sunday as the season opener for both Washington and Washington State.
There’s a lot in that lede that would have sounded absurd a few years ago. Welcome to college football in 2026, a time in which traditions are maintained — as long as they come with maximum revenue streams.
Washington State's Defensive Ends Lead New Look Defense as Apple Cup Approaches
When Washington State takes on the Washington Huskies next Sunday in the Apple Cup, the Cougars will have a new look on the defensive side of the ball.
After losing several players from last season’s defense to transfers and graduation, there will be plenty of new faces looking to make an impact. With Trent Bray coming over from Oregon State to take over as Washington State’s defensive coordinator, the Cougars are counting on several new players to help lead the defense.
Two of those players will line up on the edge, with transfers Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk expected to play major roles at defensive end.
Both players have received positive reviews throughout fall camp and will be looking to make an immediate impact as Washington State begins a new era defensively.
Gonzaga Women's Soccer Drops Tightly Contested Match With Seattle U 3-2
Wrapping up a three-game road trip against a former WCC foe, Gonzaga women’s soccer (2-3-1) nearly escaped the stretch away from Luger Field without suffering a loss. But in a match that could’ve gone either way, it was Seattle U (3-1-2) that pulled away in the end, besting the Zags 3-2 with a late goal.
There were a couple of missed opportunities for GU offensively, but it will likely be kicking itself on the defensive lapses that led to all three Redhawk goals. Two of Seattle U’s scores came courtesy of set pieces, and the game-winner was notched after a bad gamble on the Bulldogs’ backline.
Weathering the storm overall since its last home game, Gonzaga logged a 3-1 win at New Mexico before drawing with No. 11 Washington 1-1. This latest result, however, leaves a bad taste in the team’s mouth after being so buttoned up in their two previous contests.
The Zags dominated the pace during the first 10 minutes of play, generating three corner kicks in that span. On that final CK, Amelia Severn crossed the ball from the left side to the front post, where freshman midfielder Sienna Jenson was positioned. Jenson attempted a header, and Redhawks keeper Rachael Remnet made a great initial play, stretching to get a hand on the ball for the save. But the ricochet rolled right to sophomore forward Kalia Franklin, who tapped it in for her first collegiate goal and an early GU 1-0 advantage.
Seahawks Sign Trevon Diggs, 16 Others to Practice Squad
Nearly 24 hours after tabbing their initial 53-man roster for the upcoming start of the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks brought back several familiar faces as part of a 17-player practice squad on Monday, including veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs and four of their 2026 draft picks.
Diggs, a former First-Team All-Pro who signed with Seattle in mid-August, made his team debut in the preseason finale at Kansas City on August 28 and recorded an interception on the second drive of the game. But with only a handful of practices under his belt, the Seahawks terminated his contract as a vested veteran as part of cutdown day moves, with general manager John Schneider indicating that the organization had a plan in place to continue getting the former Alabama star fully up to speed and expected him to return in quick order as a member of the practice squad.
“He came in a little bit late and he's kind of just getting going,” Schneider said of Diggs on Sunday at the VMAC. “He's just kind of just getting ramped up, as you saw the other night, just getting his legs under him. But he feels he's confident and we're excited to get him going and see how far he can take this thing. He's really bought into like the culture and the guys and the staff and Karl [Scott] and Neiko [Thorpe] and those guys. So it's been pretty cool to see.”
Jedd Fisch, Huskies Target Four In-State Stars in Loaded 2029 Recruiting Class
In-state recruiting has been a fixture for Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch since he arrived at Montlake two years ago. He has secured a commitment from the best player in the evergreen state in consecutive years.
“It’s important to us to get the best players in the state to stay here, and to get back-to-back No. 1 players in the state. It’s critical.”
Combining the chance of playing for their local school and getting an opportunity to play early will carry a lot of sway with these recruits. 247Sports recently listed four Huskies on its preseason Freshman All-America watch list. This highlights the recruiting angle Fisch gets to pitch to recruits, as they will get the chance to play as true freshmen.
WATCH: Reign Control Tempo, Down Dash at Home
The Seattle Reign looked much more dominant than the 1-0 scoreline suggested in Sunday’s win over the Houston Dash at Lumen Field.
The Reign outshot Houston 17-4, winning the expected-goal battle 1.8-0.2, but managed just one goal in the 52nd minute as Maddie Dahlien scored off a rare missed clearance from Dash keeper Jane Campbell. In the game, Dahlien took five shots to generate 0.7 xG on her own (per FotMob), but was unable to capitalize on multiple breakaway chances to create what head coach Laura Harvey believes could’ve been a blowout win.
Seattle, now 9-8-4 and holding onto the eighth and final NWSL playoff spot, notched its fifth result in its last six fixtures. But after the game, Dahlien and coach Laura Harvey acknowledged the Reign’s final product hasn’t been at its post-World Cup levels — Seattle has gone three games without scoring multiple goals after doing so in five prior matches.
Defensively, the Reign returned star midfielder Sam Meza after she missed three games with injury and picked up their sixth clean sheet of the season. Center back Phoebe McClernon recovered to stop Houston counters early on, allowing for the Reign to press forward without worry for the remainder of the game. To preserve the win, Seattle was able to keep a Houston squad that is among the best at scoring late off the board entirely.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down Sunday’s result and what it means as the Reign get into their final stretch of 2026.
Cutdown Takeaways: Montorie Foster Jr. Among Seahawks to Earn Spot on Initial 53-Man Roster
Fielding questions at the podium mere minutes after the Seattle Seahawks announced their final roster cuts on Sunday, general manager John Schneider caught himself mid-answer and hesitated for a split second.
In the midst of discussing second-year receiver Montorie Foster Jr.’s surprising ascendance to earn a place on the final 53-man roster, Schneider decided to choose his words more carefully, not wanting to live in absolutes thinking back to the many players who have come and gone through Seattle’s facility since his arrival in 2010. But after a moment to gather his thoughts, he wielded the type of praise worthy of the former Michigan State standout’s unexpected rise this summer during training camp and the preseason, comparing his performance to the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
“I've never seen a player - I don't know how I say that. It's hard to remember a player at the receiver position that's improved as quickly as he has,” Schneider gushed. “I told Jax [Smith-Njigba], I felt like he like just took his film and just completely studied it or just followed him around for all spring or something.”
This time a year ago, Foster found himself back in Ohio without a team after the Seahawks released him with an injury designation early in his first training camp, preparing to begin substitute teaching at a nearby high school and not anywhere close to being in the same breath as Smith-Njigba or any other receiver for that matter. While he continued to train in preparation for his next opportunity, he also applied for a real estate license, doing his due diligence readying for life after football even as he remained confident he would get another shot between the lines.
Sure enough, the Seahawks came calling in late December, offering Foster a spot on the practice squad. He quickly hopped on a flight to Seattle, spending the last two weeks of the regular season and the entirety of the team’s historic playoff run on what coach Mike Macdonald calls the “ready” squad, earning a Super Bowl ring and a future/reserve deal days later.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Fall Back to Earth in Blowout Loss to Sparks
The short-handed Seattle Storm started and finished poorly en route to a 90-74 blowout loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (8-32), which is missing Awa Fam due to international play and Natisha Hiedeman due to injury, couldn’t get much going for most of the game. Flau’jae Johnson led the Storm with 19 points, while Dominique Malonga totaled 17 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Zia Cooke, though she did most of her damage in the first half, still finished with 14 points, four rebounds and three steals.
Los Angeles (15-25) was led by 23 points and 12 rebounds from former Storm star Nneka Ogwumike. Rae Burrell totaled 22 points, four rebounds and three assists, and the Sparks won their second-straight game for the first time since early July.
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