The Seattle Mariners are making a big move after a season that fell apart in plain sight: Dan Wilson will not return as manager next year, according to a report from the Seattle Times.
That decision lands after a year that started with real promise and ended with a thud. Seattle came off an American League West title and a run all the way to Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, where its World Series chase ended against the Toronto Blue Jays. With much of the core back in place, another division push looked well within reach.
Instead, the Mariners never stayed on track.
They were 36-32 on June 9 and sitting on a three-game lead in the division. From there, the season slipped away. Seattle entered Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Angels at 75-86, a stunning drop for a club that had been positioned to contend again.
Wilson, who replaced Scott Servais in August 2024, will end up being the face of the collapse. But the issues in Seattle ran far deeper than the dugout.
Cal Raleigh’s season went sideways after his record-setting 60-homer campaign. He came into Sunday hitting only .177 with 23 home runs. Julio Rodríguez also posted the worst offensive year of his career, while deadline pickup Taylor Ward never gave the Mariners the lift they were counting on.
The injuries piled up, too. J.P. Crawford and Brendan Donovan both missed time, adding more strain to a lineup that could not find enough consistency.
The pitching staff had its own problems. Closer Andrés Muñoz went into the final weekend with 10 blown saves and a 4.24 ERA. Bryan Woo struggled on the road, George Kirby allowed 10.2 hits per nine innings, and Bryce Miller finished with a 6.05 ERA after the All-Star break.
Wilson also drew criticism for some of his pitching choices during the skid, including leaving Miller in long enough to issue seven walks in a 19-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Then there was the 22-0 defeat to Milwaukee late in the year, another brutal low point in a season full of them.
A new manager gives Seattle a chance to reset, but the move alone won’t fix what went wrong. The next person in the job will still inherit a roster with enough talent to compete. Whether the Mariners can get back to that level will depend on Raleigh, Rodríguez and the pitching staff finding their form again.
In Other News...
J.P. Crawfords Final Mariners Moment Felt Bigger Than One Ovation
J.P. Crawfords final game of the season at T-Mobile Park carried a little extra weight, and not just because it was the last one. When the Mariners shortstop came out late in the game, the home crowd rose for a standing ovation, a fitting acknowledgment for the longest-tenured player on a roster that has changed around him over the years. Crawford has been a steady presence through plenty of transition, and teammates and the organization made clear they value more than what shows up in the box score.
The timing adds another layer to the moment, because Crawford is set to become a free agent after the season and has said he wants to stay in Seattle. He closed the year with a .221/.335/.352 line in 116 games, but his impact in the clubhouse and on the field has long been part of the Mariners identity. Whether this ended up being a goodbye or just an especially emotional sendoff, the reaction at the ballpark suggested the story around Crawford in Seattle is still very much unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Julio Rodrguez Is Forcing A Mariners Decision They Can't Ignore
Julio Rodrguezs 2026 season has put the Mariners in an awkward spot, because the conversation around him is no longer just about whether his bat will carry the lineup. His offensive metrics have slipped, and the same has been true on defense, where his runs saved and the underlying movement data point in the same direction. For a player whose value has long been tied to impact in center field, the trend line is starting to matter as much as the highlights.
The bigger issue for Seattle is what comes next, especially with a roster opening on the horizon and the practical question of whether Rodrguez still fits best in center. His size, speed and defensive profile have prompted a closer look at how similar players have aged at the position, and the Mariners may soon have to decide whether a corner-outfield move is the cleaner way to preserve his overall value. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Fans Just Got An Emotional J.P. Crawford Reminder
The pregame tribute for Rick Rizzs gave the evening an unmistakably sentimental edge before the first pitch was thrown, with the longtime Mariners broadcaster honored ahead of his planned Hall of Fame induction next season. The ceremony brought out franchise figures and teammates alike, a reminder of how much of the clubs identity is tied to the voices and faces that have carried it through the years.
J.P. Crawford later added a second layer of emotion when he was pulled from the game in what marked the final one under his current contract. The shortstops farewell moment also came with recognition from teammates and franchise legends, turning an ordinary night on the schedule into one of those rare games where the past and future of the organization seemed to meet at once. [Read more 🡒]