If the Mariners decide their offensive reset has to start with Kevin Seitzer, the search for a replacement should not be short on ambition.
That’s the reality in Seattle now. Dan Wilson may be the one under the brightest spotlight, but the offensive mess reaches beyond the dugout manager. Jerry Dipoto appears safe for now, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic put it plainly: "Wilson and some of his coaches, then, figure to be the only casualties."
Seattle brought in Seitzer and Bobby Magallanes together in 2024, hoping they could mesh with director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez and build a different kind of lineup - one rooted in using the whole field and becoming more complete. It showed up late in 2024 and through 2025.
This year, though, the whole thing has unraveled. Even after Magallanes was fired in July, the offense slipped further, and only three teams have scored fewer runs over the full season.
If Seitzer is out, and maybe Martinez too, the Mariners will be back at square one. That means the front office will need ideas, and plenty of them. Three names stand out as dream targets.
Daniel Vogelbach is the most natural fit on paper, and not just because he used to be a fan favorite in Seattle after hitting 30 homers in 2019. His first season as Milwaukee’s co-hitting coach has been impressive enough to warrant real attention.
The Brewers have hit only 147 home runs, which is good for second-fewest in the league, yet they’re second in runs scored. They’ve also taken a noticeable jump in walks, improving their walk rate by 1.5 percentage points from 2025, one of the biggest increases in baseball.
Vogelbach was known for his eye as a player, and Milwaukee’s offense has shown that same patience. Seattle could use more of that.
Aaron Bates offers a different kind of appeal. The Dodgers can stockpile talent, sure, but their hitting coaches deserve credit too, and Bates has brought a thoughtful approach to the job.
In a 2019 interview with David Laurila of FanGraphs, he said hitting hard matters, which sounds especially appealing for a Mariners club that has dropped 4.2 percentage points in hard-hit rate from last year. He also laid out a philosophy that avoids one-size-fits-all instruction. "there are tons of different swings," Bates said.
"It’s not a cookie-cutter way of teaching one person one thing; it’s based on their movements," Bates said. "We all want to get to the same spot, we just might have to tell ourselves different things to get there."
With Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor all bringing different profiles, that kind of detail could matter.
Then there’s John Mallee, who comes from the Cubs, MLB’s most explosive offense in 2026. Chicago leads the league in runs, home runs, slugging and OPS, and Mallee has had a hand in that alongside hitting coach Dustin Kelly and assistant Juan Cabreja.
His work with Pete Crow-Armstrong is especially eye-catching. Mallee has been with him since the minor league days and helped him build a steadier setup and routine before the 2026 season.
Crow-Armstrong has gone from glove-first prospect to 30-homer hitter in 2025 and now a 40-homer bat in 2026, while also posting one of the year’s biggest gains in hard-hit rate and a 6.8-point jump in walk rate. For a Mariners organization hoping its younger hitters - Cole Young, Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo - become core pieces, that’s exactly the kind of track record that would turn heads.
In Other News...
Mariners Could Lose More Than Two Starters This Winter
The Mariners could be staring at more than a routine offseason reshuffle, with two familiar names potentially heading for free agency at the same time. Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford are both nearing the end of their contracts, which leaves Seattle weighing not just production but the ripple effects of losing two everyday presences who helped shape different parts of the roster.
Arozarena has brought value beyond left field, serving as a mentor for younger players such as Lazaro Montes, while Crawford has been one of the more durable voices in the clubhouse for years. Colt Emerson is viewed as Crawfords eventual on-field successor, but replacing the shortstops leadership is a separate challenge, and the broader question for Seattle is how to maintain a steady clubhouse identity if both veterans move on. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Have A Blame Game Behind Their Stolen Base Problem
The stolen-base issue has become a recurring headache for the Mariners, and it showed up again when the Rockies ran wild for four bags in a recent game. Bryan Woo, Gabe Speier and Seranthony Dominguez all gave up stolen bases, a familiar enough scene for a club that has had trouble controlling the running game for much of the season.
Cal Raleigh remains at the center of the conversation, too, because his pop time and throwing velocity have slipped, with a recent oblique injury possibly part of the explanation. Opponents have already swiped 118 bases against Seattle this year, and the Mariners caught-stealing rate sits below the league average, which leaves plenty of blame to go around and not much room for comfort. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Dipoto Suddenly Sits At Center Of Seattles Biggest Debate
As the Mariners close in on the end of a disappointing 2026 season, the focus in Seattle is already shifting to what comes next. The clubs playoff chances are slim, and while change feels inevitable around a roster that never fully got on track, one familiar figure is still projected to remain in place: president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, who appears likely to be back for a 12th year.
That expectation alone has become a central part of the debate around the franchises direction, especially with manager Dan Wilson not expected to return and more roster movement on the horizon. The Mariners have reached the point where the conversation is no longer just about one lost season, but about how much of the current structure stays intact and how boldly the front office chooses to reshape it. [Read more 🡒]