Can Dan Wilson help the Mariners rekindle some of that 1995 magic?

Dan Wilson has been through something like this before, and longtime Mariners fans won’t need a reminder of just how special the team’s playoff push was in 1995.

In his first managerial job, Wilson will try to recapture some of that “Refuse To Lose” magic with these Mariners over the next five weeks. And he hasn’t shied away from the challenge.

“One of the things I’d like to instill … is just this idea that going out to win in the playoffs, or to get to the playoffs, is really about getting ready and prepared each day to go out and fight and take it,” Wilson said. “No team is going to hand us this playoff run. And when we’ve gone through it, and I’ve gone through it in the past, you have to earn everything. And so I think hopefully that’s something that we can pass along fairly quickly and help these guys understand that.”

On Aug. 24, 1995, the Mariners were one game under .500 and sat 11.5 games back of the California Angels in the AL West. Just 25 games later, the Mariners had tied the Angels atop the division, and later secured their first playoff berth in franchise history by beating the Angels in a tiebreaker game.

Can they do it again?

Coming into Friday — Aug. 23, 2024, Wilson’s first game as manager — the Mariners were a .500 team sitting 5.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Entering Sunday’s finale with the San Francisco Giants — after a split in his first two games — Wilson and his Mariners sit within 4.5 games of the Astros with 31 games left.

They’ve got work to do and not a lot of time to do it.

As things stand, the Mariners’ best hope to make the playoffs is to win the division, and they have an 11.8% chance to win the AL West, according to FanGraphs projections.

After the Mariners close out their series against the Giants, eight of their final 30 games are against teams currently in a playoff position (two games vs. the Padres; three vs. the Yankees; three vs. the Astros).

Here’s their remaining schedule after this weekend:

Aug. 26-28: vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Aug. 30-Sept. 1: at Los Angeles Angels

Sept. 2-Sept. 5: at Oakland A’s

Sept. 6-8: at St. Louis Cardinals

Sept. 10-11: vs. San Diego Padres

Sept. 12-15: vs. Texas Rangers

Sept. 17-19: vs. New York Yankees

Sept. 20-22: at Texas Rangers

Sept. 23-25: at Houston Astros

Sept. 27-29: vs. Oakland A’s

Of the Astros’ final 32 games (including Sunday), 17 are against teams currently in playoff position. Here’s their remaining schedule:

Aug. 25: at Baltimore Orioles

Aug. 26-28: at Philadelphia Phillies

Aug. 29-Sept. 1: vs. Kansas City Royals

Sept. 2-5: at Cincinnati Reds

Sept. 6-8: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Sept. 10-12: vs. Oakland A’s

Sept. 13-15: at Los Angeles Angels

Sept. 16-18: at San Diego Padres

Sept. 19-22: vs. Los Angeles Angels

Sept. 23-25: vs. Seattle Mariners

Sept. 27-29: at Cleveland Guardians

The Orioles, Royals and Twins entered Sunday holding onto the three AL wild-card positions. The Red Sox sat 4.5 games back of the Twins for the final wild-card spot, followed by the Rays (7 games back) and Mariners (7.5 games) behind the Twins.

FanGraphs projections give the Mariners just a 2.6% chance at a wild-card berth.

The Mariners have been a streaky team throughout the season, and they’re hoping they have at least one more hot streak in them over the final five weeks.

“We have a lot of good players in this clubhouse, despite some of the [numbers]; obviously, offensively it has been a struggle,” veteran outfielder Mitch Haniger said. “But guys show up every day and work hard to get better. And it’s pretty cool. Generally, on some of the crappy teams I’ve been on in the past, you see guys throwing in the towel. You see guys show up late, not put in work, play cards, not try to get better.

“But that’s not the case here. I think it can be a flip of the switch and get right back on track.”