Auburn Riverside’s Rucker returns home to pitch for Mariners

Published 12:52 pm Monday, July 20, 2026

Michael Rucker spent the majority of 2025 working, relentlessly. Now he is a mainstay in the Seattle Mariners bullpen, a team he watched growing up, living out his childhood dream.

“It’s been a blessing first and foremost, going up through pro ball it was something people from around the area would say. But it was never in my control until recently,” said Rucker, a 2012 graduate of Auburn Riverside High School, during a July 17 interview at T-Mobile Park. “It was crazy just how things have worked out, I feel really lucky to be here.”

Rucker, 32, signed a minor league contract with Seattle on Jan. 8, his first contract since injuring his arm in October 2024. He threw in 22 games for the Tacoma Rainiers this season before being called up on June 11. As of July 20, he’s made 13 appearances for the Mariners this season and threw in his first professional game inside T-Mobile Park on June 17.

“It’s awesome to pitch in a place where I went to so many games growing up,” Rucker said. “My 10-year old self would not believe where I am at and what I am able to do right now.”

Prior to his current stint with the Mariners, Rucker had played in 96 games at the major league level all with the Chicago Cubs. During the 2024 season, he had been designated for assignment by the Phillies following in September of that season but was claimed by the Washington Nationals off waivers. But in October of 2024, Rucker had Tommy John surgery and took the 2025 season off due to recovering from that injury.

Rucker moved to Washington when he was 8 years old and has called the state home since. While recovering from the arm injury, he was working at Driveline in Kent, looking to find his way back. He had just welcomed his newborn baby and had one goal in mind, but to have that reality be in his home ballpark was something he couldn’t have dreamed.

“One of the biggest goals or visions that I had, that I put out there to kind of motivate me was that I wanted to hold my little boy on a big league ballpark after a game. To be able to do that is insane, it’s incredible to see it (happen),” Rucker said. “The perspective I have now, all the work and time is worth it. Now I am just playing with house money.”

He was pitching to college players in the summer, working on film to send to teams around baseball to see if he could still get another opportunity. Through connections he had made at Driveline, an opportunity with the Mariners presented itself. The chance to play for the team he watched growing up is something that every kid who plays baseball dreams about.

Chris Young, the Mariners current director of pitching was Rucker’s bullpen coach with the Cubs was the link he needed.

“It was crazy, the networking side of baseball and how small that side of baseball really is. It felt like it happened for a reason,” Rucker said.

Growing up, Rucker played for Diamond Sports, a select baseball team out of the Sumner/ Puyallup area. Now, he is one of three major league baseball players to dawn the Diamond Sports jersey. Rucker made his pro debut first of the three, followed by Decatur High’s Janson Junk and Roger High’s Troy Johnston.

“It’s cool to be anywhere I go, where I can play against guys that I have had a relationship with. I had a conversation with Janson Junk after we saw him in Miami, it was cool to see him. We are all rooting for each other, that is the biggest thing. We all want to do well and represent,” Rucker said.

For a facility to have one pro player, that is a big deal. But the Diamond Sports community has three, Rucker still keeps in contact with Jay Garthwaite, one of the original coaches at the facility.

Rucker had pitched against the Mariners once in his professional career, a 2.2 inning performance where he allowed one run, on two hits in a Cubs 14-9 win. Rucker was credited with the win on April 11, 2023.

He made his T-Mobile Park debut on June 17 in a Mariners 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The emotions felt as Rucker ran in from the bullpen is a moment he’ll remember for the rest of his career.

“All through professional baseball, T-Mobile was one of the last ones to check off for all 30 parks I have been to,” Rucker said.

He just never was able to make the trip wearing a visitor uniform, but in the home whites of the Mariners he was able to accomplish it.

“I struck out three, gave up a solo home run, whatever. But to have that moment afterwards and be with family afterwards was a full circle moment,” Rucker said.