The Seattle Mariners went from a Game 7 run in the 2025 American League Championship Series to a 76-86 finish this year. The team collectively batted .233 with a .693 OPS, ranking below the bottom five teams in the league. 2025 AL Silver Slugger Cal Raleigh dropped to .182 from his .247 BA in the previous season. Meanwhile, center fielder Julio Rodríguez’s performance dipped from .267 to .247. That teamwide slide cost skipper Dan Wilson his job, paving the way for first-time manager Jason Kanzler to inherit that clubhouse.

In an interview with MLB.com, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto explained why Kanzler got the job.

“One of the things we hear from players, and it becomes more prominent with each passing year, is what they expect in terms of clarity and communication. We feel like Jason brings that. He communicates very directly. You’re not left wondering what the plan or direction is when the conversation ends, and we thought that was hugely important.”

Dan Wilson, the former Mariners manager, drew heavy scrutiny in ALCS Game 7, lifting right-hander Bryan Woo with two runners on base in the seventh. Reliever Eduard Bazardo then allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer in a 4-3 loss.

Under Wilson, the Mariners’ lineup shifted to hitting more up the middle from a power-heavy approach. An anonymous Mariner reportedly claimed that the lineup was “a group at a crossroads.” The player admitted that the Mariners tend to win more when they slug homers. But pulling the baseball while maintaining power did not prove to be practical on the field. He added that the year-by-year change in hitting philosophy gave rise to a disconnect with the manager.

New skipper Jason Kanzler, a 36-year-old former Chicago Cubs director of player development, taught high school physics and chemistry before coming to the sport. In 2019, he started working with the Houston Astros as a minor league hitting coach. After spending three seasons there, Kanzler got promoted to the majors in 2022. Then in 2024, he joined the Cubs.

All this experience screams his communication skills, which can help pick up the slack from the top down— be it from the front office to players or between the leagues.

In his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Kanzler laid out how he sees the roster:

“I would like to ride the lightning with this team, in this city. In terms of players, I think it’s extremely exciting. This is a young group; they are talented. This is a good team already, and they have the potential and the talent to be an excellent team.”

Optimism from a first-year skipper needs backing, and his résumé supplies it. The Buffalo walk-on outfielder and a two-time Rawlings Gold Glover went in the 20th round of the 2013 draft to the Minnesota Twins and rose from Astros minor league hitting coach to the 2022 World Series staff.

The modern coaching pitch mattered just as much to the front office, and Dipoto detailed that in the same MLB.com interview.

“It’s about intensity. One of his real drumbeats was that everything matters. As we walked through this, he held that standard. Everything matters, and it was delivered with clarity and intensity. There’s an urgency to what he brings to the table in terms of preparation and practice, and it’s all modern.”

That emphasis fits Dipoto’s own track record.

Kanzler is his third manager hire in 11 years with Seattle, and none of the former managers, Scott Servais, Wilson, or Kanzler, had managed before. This time, Dipoto widened the search, and former Astros manager Joe Espada reached the finalist stage. But this is not the first time Kanzler grabbed the Mariners’ attention.

The Mariners interviewed him in 2021 for a major league hitting coach role.

While the first-time MLB manager did not take up the responsibility back then, this time, Jason Kanzler is walking into a fertile pipeline.

Seattle Mariners face a race against the labor clock this winter

Rookies Colt Emerson, Kade Anderson, Lazaro Montes, and Michael Arroyo all got call-ups last season, with Ryan Sloan and Felnin Celesten pushing on the cusp. The pipeline helps, though the winter shopping list will shape the first month.

Process talk only goes so far before roster math takes over. Shortstop J.P. Crawford and outfielder Randy Arozarena hit free agency, and Seattle suddenly needs an everyday shortstop and more lineup length before a looming labor deadline freezes the market.

Dipoto pointed to the glove work first during his MLB.com interview.

“The biggest thing for us right now is improving our defense. Our defense last year was atrocious. It makes it very hard for a good pitching staff to stay good, and it makes it really hard to win games when you’re giving away outs on a nightly basis.”

He then explained where Seattle will shop first.

“We think the lowest-hanging fruit is finding players, whether in everyday or role-type situations, who can strengthen our defense. We also want to create more depth.”

Mauricio Dubón, Matt Chapman, and Joey Ortiz, among others, are only a few names the Mariners are looking at to improve their 2027 roster.

Those moves fit Kanzler’s style since this lineup ran station-to-station and wasn’t fully healthy. With Opening Day set for March 25, 2027, against the Boston Red Sox, the front office has a short runway to get moving.