When the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays were matched up in the World Series, the Seattle Mariners had a few familiar names scattered across both clubs. Ben Williamson and Casey Legumina are on the Rays side, while Jake Bauers is with Milwaukee.
But the Mariners connection that matters most right now is Daniel Vogelbach. The former Seattle All-Star is on the Brewers’ coaching staff as a hitting coach, and he’s helping guide a Milwaukee team that is now two wins from its first World Series title.
Vogelbach has already shown up in the spotlight during the series, too. He was captured in video that went viral after the Brewers tied Game 2 with a home run. Milwaukee went on to win 5-4 and grab a 2-0 lead in the series.
Still only 33, Vogelbach spent nine seasons in the majors with the Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Mets. His biggest run came in Seattle, where he hit 30 home runs and drove in 76 runs in 2019. He played in 144 games that season and hit .208, but it was enough to earn him an All-Star nod as the lone Mariners representative on a team that finished last in the American League West.
Across his big-league career, Vogelbach hit .219 with 81 home runs and 246 RBIs. Besides that 30-homer year with Seattle, he also had two other seasons with double-digit home run totals.
After his playing career ended in 2024, Vogelbach moved into coaching with the Pirates for 2025. He then joined the Brewers’ staff in January of 2026.
Game 3 is set for Monday night, when the World Series shifts to Tampa Bay for the first time.
There’s also movement back in Seattle’s managerial search. Reports this week said the Mariners are aiming to have their next manager in place by Oct. 31, though there isn’t a firm deadline. The goal is to get the new skipper settled in, building connections inside the organization.
And on the podcast side, the latest edition of the “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast, featuring ESPN’s Buster Olney, is available now.
In Other News...
Mariners Bullpen Fix May Come From A Much Cheaper Free Agent
The Mariners are headed into another offseason with bullpen help near the top of the to-do list after the relief corps faded badly in the second half of the 2026 season. Seattle has already been linked to free-agent relievers as it looks for a fix that fits the budget, and the market appears to include some familiar names with different profiles, from power arms to pitchers who lean more heavily on command and contact management.
Jonathan Loisiga, Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia stand out as the sort of lower-cost options that could make sense if the club wants to avoid the pricier end of the reliever market. Each comes with a track record that gives the Mariners something to weigh, and the broader challenge is finding a bullpen upgrade substantial enough to matter without forcing the front office into a commitment it has been reluctant to make. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found A Shortstop Worth Reworking Everything For
The Mariners search for stability at shortstop keeps circling back to a name that would change the conversation in a hurry: Zach Neto. The Angels infielder has the kind of two-way profile that can alter a lineup and a defense at the same time, and for Seattle, that matters with more roster turnover looming and shortstop still a position that could use a long-term answer.
Netos fit is obvious enough that it raises the harder question of how far the Mariners would actually have to go to get him. Any serious pursuit would require Seattle to navigate the realities of his team control and the kind of trade cost that comes with a young shortstop who already looks established, which makes this one more than a simple upgrade search. The idea is compelling because the alternative is continuing to patch the spot, and the Mariners may not want to do that for much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Teoscar Hernandez Suddenly Faces A Real Dodgers Future Question
Teoscar Hernandez looked like a short-term Dodgers fit when he arrived on a one-year deal for 2024, then turned that into a bigger commitment by delivering an All-Star season, a Silver Slugger and a World Series ring. The follow-up contract gave Los Angeles more runway with a veteran bat it trusted, and for a while it seemed like the club had a clear answer for its corner-outfield mix.
Now the picture is less settled. Hernandez has had a uneven stretch since then, and a hamstring injury in 2026 only adds to the uncertainty around how the Dodgers will line up their outfield going forward. With another season still ahead before any decisions have to be made, the possibility is creeping in that Hernandez could become a trade candidate for 2027 if the next wave of talent keeps pressing. [Read more 🡒]