The Seattle Mariners went 10–3 against the Houston Astros in 2026, yet finished 76–86 while Houston won the AL West at 81–81. Jason Kanzler, the new 36-year-old manager, now inherits Julio Rodríguez, the center fielder, and Cal Raleigh, the catcher.
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During his introductory interview, Kanzler took a cheeky dig at the Houston Astros with a cryptic remark, saying, “I fondly remember coming here when I was with the Team That Shall Not be Named, and what distinctly stands out to me is that this atmosphere is electric. I think… maybe I’m misremembering, but I remember I think that Electric Factory was even like a thing that was used.”
Kanzler’s tone was deliberately self-aware and humorous with cryptic remarks; he openly acknowledged his Astros past while praising Seattle’s atmosphere. Kanzler worked inside the Astros organization from 2019 to 2023, so the unnamed team points straight to Houston.
That club still carries the stain of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal, when players used a center-field camera to read opposing catchers’ signs live and warned hitters by banging a dugout trash can. MLB fined the team $5 million, took away draft picks, and suspended executives, which led to league-wide rule changes.
The Mariners went 76-86 to finish third in the AL West and missed October, while the Astros captured the division with 81-81. Kanzler’s Houston ties run much deeper than one memory.
“I think one of the things that excites me, among many things, is that I would like to ride the lightning with this team in this city. Now, in terms of the 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,” Kanzler added in the same introductory interview.
According to a statement released by the Mariners on Tuesday, Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations for the Mariners, said: “Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle.”
Dipoto mentioned that having previous managing experience at the big-league level is preferred, although it is not mandatory. And Kanzler beat out Joe Espada, who previously managed the Astros and worked with him in Houston, to get the position. Scott Servais in 2015 and Dan Wilson in 2024 similarly entered the fray without having any prior experience as a manager.
Whether that gamble pays off hinges on fixing what went wrong in 2026.
Jason Kanzler inherits a club with fixable flaws
Repair starts with a lost summer. Seattle sat at 47–44 on July 5, then bullpen meltdowns and a stalled lineup sank the entire year, capped by a 22–0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on August 18, the worst loss in franchise history.
Wilson was fired immediately after Game 162, one year after the team reached the ALCS. The 19–1 thrashing of the Oakland Athletics on September 12 illustrated the potential this team possesses, but consistency was lacking, and Kanzler now has to work on situational hitting.
Kanzler arrives after three seasons as director of player development for the Chicago Cubs. He worked with Jeremy Peña, the 2022 World Series MVP shortstop, and his bond with third baseman Alex Bregman was credited with helping Chicago’s successful free-agent pursuit.
He was a 20th-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2013, taught high school physics and chemistry near Houston, coached two seasons in the Cape Cod League, and now becomes the second-youngest manager in baseball, behind Blake Butera, the 34-year-old Washington Nationals skipper.