The Seattle Mariners 1998 season was their 22nd season, and was the final year in which Kingdome was the home venue for the entire season. Their record was and they finished in third place in the four-team American League West, 11½ games behind the champion Texas Rangers.
The Mariners were the defending division champions, but exceeded the .500 mark only once during the season; at 19–18 after a win at Detroit on May 12. On July 18 at the Kingdome, Seattle (crimson, silver, and black) and the Kansas City Royals (yellow gold and blue) played a game in futuristic uniforms for "Turn Ahead the Clock" night. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and the Mariners won by three.
The Mariners traded future Hall of Famer pitcher Randy Johnson to the Houston Astros on July 31, receiving Freddy García, Carlos Guillén, and John Halama in return.
Ken Griffey Jr. hit 56 home runs to tie his franchise record set the year before. Rodriguez hit 42 home runs and stole 46 bases to become the third member of the 40–40 club, joining Jose Canseco (1988) and Barry Bonds (1996).
Offseason November 13, 1997: Jalal Leach signed with the Mariners. November 18: Andy Sheets and Bob Wolcott selected in the 1997 expansion draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively. December 3: Ken Huckaby signed with the Mariners. December 16,: Pat Listach signed as a free agent with the Mariners. December 27: Rico Rossy signed as a free agent with the Mariners. January 8, 1998: Glenallen Hill signed as a free agent with the Mariners. January 29: Leach was traded by the Mariners with minor leaguer Scott Smith to the San Francisco Giants for David McCarty.
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Opening Day starters Jay Buhner Joey Cora Russ Davis Ken Griffey Jr. Glenallen Hill Randy Johnson Edgar Martínez Alex Rodriguez David Segui Dan Wilson
Notable transactions June 13, 1998: Catcher Ken Huckaby was released by the Mariners. July 6: Outfielder Glenallen Hill was selected off waivers by the Chicago Cubs from the Mariners. July 31: Randy Johnson was traded by the Mariners to the Houston Astros for pitcher Freddy García, infielder Carlos Guillén, and a player to be named later; Houston sent pitcher John Halama to the Mariners on October 1 to complete the trade. August 31: Infielder David Bell was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Mariners for Joey Cora.
Roster 1998 Seattle Mariners Roster Pitchers Catchers
Infielders Outfielders Manager
Coaches
Major league debuts Batters: Rickey Cradle (Jul 1) Charles Gipson (Mar 31) Carlos Guillén (Sep 6) Shane Monahan (Jul 9) Ryan Radmanovich (Apr 13) Pitchers: Steve Gajkowski (May 25) David Holdridge (Aug 8)
Game log
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 1 || March 31||Cleveland Indians || 9-10|| Mesa (1-0)|| Fossas (0-1)|| Jackson (1)||57,822 ||0-1
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 2 ||April 1 ||Cleveland Indians || 7-9|| Wright (1-0)|| Moyer (0-1)||Jackson (2) || 24,523 || 0-2 || |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 3 ||April 3 ||Boston Red Sox ||11-6 || Cloude (1-0) || Lowe (0-1) || || 27,555 ||1-2 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 4 ||April 4 || Boston Red Sox||12-6 || Swift (1-0) || Rose (0-1) || || 43,035 ||2-2 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 5 ||April 5 ||Boston Red Sox ||5-10 || Saberhagen (1-0) || Johnson (0-1) || || 35,143 ||2-3 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 6 ||April 6 ||New York Yankees||8-0 || Moyer (1-1) || Pettitte (0-2) || || 27,445 ||3-3 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 7 ||April 7 ||New York Yankees|| 7-13 || Wells (1-1) || Bullinger (0-1) || || 28,424 ||3-4 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 8 || April 8||New York Yankees || 3-4|| Lloyd (1-0) || Ayala (0-1) || Stanton (1) || 33,922 ||3-5 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 9 ||April 10 ||@ Boston Red Sox || 7-9|| Garces (1-0) || Timlin (0-1) || || 32,805 ||3-6 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 10 ||April 11 ||@ Boston Red Sox ||0-5 || Martinez (2-0) || Moyer (1-2) || || 32,403 ||3-7 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 11 ||April 12 ||@ Boston Red Sox ||7-8 || Wasdin (2-0) || Slocumb (0-1) || || 23,270 ||3-8 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 12 ||April 13 ||@ Cleveland Indians || 5-6|| Burba (2-1) || Cloude (1-1) || Jackson (6) || 42,793 ||3-9 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 13 ||April 14 ||@ Cleveland Indians ||3-8 || Assenmacher (1-0) || Slocumb (0-2) || || 40,490 ||3-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 14 ||April 15 ||@ Cleveland Indians ||5-3 || Spoljaric (1-0) || Assenmacher (1-1) || Ayala (1) || 40,527 ||4-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 15 ||April 16 ||@ Minnesota Twins ||3-2 || Timlin (1-0) || Aguliera (0-2) || Ayala (2) || 11,351 ||5-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 16 ||April 17 ||@ Minnesota Twins ||11-6 || Fassero (1-0) || Milton (2-1) || || 18,169 ||6-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 17 ||April 18 ||@ Minnesota Twins ||5-3 || Cloude (2-1) || Tewksbury (2-2) || Ayala (3) || 23,943 ||7-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 18 ||April 19 || @ Minnesota Twins ||7-4 || Swift (2-0) || Hawkins (0-2) || Timlin (1) || 15,124 ||8-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 19 ||April 20 ||Kansas City Royals ||8-7 || Lira (1-0) || Rios (0-1) || Ayala (4) || 38,345 ||9-10 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 20 ||April 21 || Kansas City Royals ||3-5 || Bevil (3-0) || Fossas (0-2) || Montgomery (4) || 21,547 ||9-11 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 21 ||April 22 || Kansas City Royals ||11-5 || Fassero (2-0) || Pichardo (0-2) || || 22,698 ||10-11 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 22 ||April 24 || Minnesota Twins ||4-2 || Cloude (3-1) || Tewksbury (2-3) || Ayala (5) || 28,157 ||11-11 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 23 ||April 25 || Minnesota Twins ||2-8 || Aguliera (1-2) || Timlin (1-2) || || 51,880 ||11-12 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 24 ||April 26 || Minnesota Twins || 0-2|| Radke (3-1) || Moyer (1-3) || Aguilera (4) || 31,732 ||11-13 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 25 ||April 28 || @ Kansas City Royals||5-1 || Johnson (1-1) || Service (1-1) || || 11,630 ||12-13 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 26 ||April 29||@ New York Yankees ||5-8 || Cone (3-1) || Fassero (2-1) || Rivera (3) || 27,949 ||12-14 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 27 ||April 30||@ New York Yankees ||8-9 || Rivera (1-0) || Ayala (0-2) || || 28,517 ||12-15
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 28 ||May 1 || Detroit Tigers || 3-17|| Worrell (2-3) || Swift (2-1) || || 28,827 ||12-16 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 29 ||May 2 || Detroit Tigers || 4-0|| Moyer (2-3) || Thompson (1-4) || || 48,630 ||13-16 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 30 ||May 3 || Detroit Tigers ||10-6 || Johnson (2-1) || Castillo (0-1) || || 44,488 ||14-16 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 31 ||May 5 || Chicago White Sox||8-1 || Fassero (3-1) || Eyre (1-4) || || 22,760 ||15-16 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 32 ||May 6 || Chicago White Sox ||10-9 || Slocumb (1-2) || Castillo (0-2) || Ayala (6) || 21,243 ||16-16 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 33 ||May 7 ||Toronto Blue Jays ||0-6 || Clemens (4-3) || Moyer (2-4) || || 24,129 ||16-17 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 34 ||May 8 || Toronto Blue Jays ||8-3 || Johnson (3-1) || Williams (3-2) || || 29,920 ||17-17 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 35 ||May 9 ||Toronto Blue Jays ||1-4 || Hentgen (4-3) || Swift (2-2) || Myers (9) || 49,851 ||17-18 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 36 ||May 10||Toronto Blue Jays || 3-1|| Fassero (4-1) || Guzman (1-5) || Ayala (7) || 39,249 ||18-18 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 37 ||May 12 ||@ Detroit Tigers ||4-2 || Spoljaric (2-0) || Thompson (2-5) || Ayala (8) || 11,659 ||19-18 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 38 ||May 13 ||@ Detroit Tigers ||5-8 || Moehler (3-3) || Cloude (3-2) || Jones (5) || 10,766 ||19-19 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 39 ||May 14 ||@ Chicago White Sox ||3-5 || Fordham (1-0) || Johnson (3-2) || Simas (2) || 15,007 ||19-20 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 40 ||May 15 || @ Chicago White Sox ||3-6 || Navarro (4-3) || Swift (2-3) || Foulke (1) || 16,127 ||19-21 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 41 ||May 16 || @ Toronto Blue Jays ||8-1 || Fassero (5-1) || Guzman (1-6) || || 31,121 ||20-21 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 42 ||May 17 ||@ Toronto Blue Jays ||3-4 || Plesac (2-2) || Slocumb (1-3) || || 28,111 ||20-22 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 43 ||May 18 ||@ Toronto Blue Jays ||9-4 || Spoljaric (3-0) || Clemens (4-5) || || 28,125 ||21-22 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 44 || May 19 ||@ Texas Rangers ||4-10 || Helling (7-1) || Johnson (3-3) || Hernandez (1) || 37,258 ||21-23 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 45 || May 20 ||@ Texas Rangers || 7-8 || Crabtree (1-0) || Timlin (1-3) || Wetteland (13) || 29,454 ||21-24 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 46 || May 21 ||@ Texas Rangers || 8-9 || Bailes (1-0) || Ayala (0-3) || || 34,613 || 21-25 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 47 || May 22 || Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 2-5 || Johnson (2-1) || Moyer (2-5) || Hernandez (8) || 29,522 || 21-26 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 48 || May 23 || Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 3-6 || Yan (4-0) || Ayala (0-4) || Hernandez (9) || 35,819 || 21-27 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 49 || May 24 || Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 3-1 || Johnson (4-3) || Springer (1-8) || || 46,867 || 22-27 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 50 || May 25 || Baltimore Orioles|| 12-4 || Swift (3-3) || Rodriguez (0-2) || || 28,375 || 23-27 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 51 || May 26|| Baltimore Orioles || 3-8 || Erickson (5-5) || Fassero (5-2) || || 31,164 || 23-28 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 52 || May 28 ||@ Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 5-2 || Moyer (3-5) || Johnson (2-2) || || 27,017 || 24-28 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 53 || May 29 ||@ Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 6-2 || Johnson (5-3) || Saunders (1-5) || || 32,142 ||25-28 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 54 || May 30 ||@ Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 2-5 || Springer (2-8) || Cloude (3-3) || Hernandez (10) || 40,212 ||25-29 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 55 || May 31 ||@ Tampa Bay Devil Rays || 11-6 || Swift (4-3) || White (0-1) || || 35,184 ||26-29
|- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 56 ||June 1 ||@ Baltimore Orioles || 9-10 || Mills (1-2) || Fossas (0-3) || Benitez (8) || 42,622 ||26-30 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 57 || June 2 ||@ Baltimore Orioles || 8-9 || Charlton (1-1) || Ayala (0-5) || || 46,724 ||26-31 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 58 || June 3 ||Anaheim Angels || 1-8 || Finley (6-2) || Johnson (5-4) || || 24,944 ||26-32 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 59 || June 4 ||Anaheim Angels || 2-6 || Hill (8-4) || Cloude (3-4) || Hasegawa (1) || 23,709 ||26-33 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 60 || June 5 ||Los Angeles Dodgers|| 4-0 || Swift (5-3) || Valdez (4-7) || || 39,053 ||27-33 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 61 || June 6||Los Angeles Dodgers || 6-10 || Bruske (3-0) || Wells (0-1) || Osuna (2) || 49,559 ||27-34 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 62 || June 7 ||Los Angeles Dodgers || 4-7 || Dreifort (4-5) || Moyer (3-6) || Osuna (3) || 41,514 ||27-35 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 63 || June 8 ||@ San Francisco Giants || 3-4 || Darwin (6-3) || Johnson (5-5) || Rodriguez (1) || 34,166 ||27-36 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 64 || June 9 ||@ San Francisco Giants || 6-7 || Johnstone (2-2) || Cloude (3-5) || Nen (19) || 24,137 ||27-37 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 65 || June 10 ||@ San Francisco Giants || 4-1 || Swift (6-3) || Hershiser (6-4) || Slocumb (1) || 23,590 ||28-37 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb" | 66 || June 11 ||@ Oakland Athletics ||2-5 || Oquist (4-3) || Fassero (5-3) || Taylor (11) || 7,838 ||28-38 |- align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 67 || June 12 ||@ Oakland Athletics ||5-0 || Moyer (4-6) || Candiotti (4-8) || || 11,533 ||29-38 |- align="center" bgcolor="ffbbbb"