With the Seattle Mariners at 47-46 as of Thursday, the organization may consider parting ways with their manager Dan Wilson if the team cannot turn it around soon. The Mariners promoted Wilson to manager after parting ways with the long-tenured Scott Servais. Servais arrived to the Seattle the same year that the Mariners initially hired Jerry Dipoto as general manager.
Chris Landers of Fansided stated, “Maybe it’s because he manages on the West Coast, or maybe it’s because the Seattle Mariners not have historically been a particularly high-profile franchise, but it seems like Wilson should be getting more heat nationally than he has of yet.”
The Mariners still remain the second favorite per Fangraphs odds for the World Series, but the constant inconsistencies with the major league roster continue to be frustrating. With how weak the American League seems this season, there is no reason the Mariners should not be the overwhelming favorite to win the pennant.
However, Wilson’s management of the bullpen and the platoon roles in the lineup continue to hinder this team. Not to mention, the piggyback, while at times effective, has created problems within the clubhouse. When the Mariners promoted Wilson to manager, they expected him to have a pulse on the locker room. However, that perceptions dwindles as the Mariners struggle.
Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Needs to Show His Value
GettyDespite being one of the greatest players in franchise history, Wilson needs to prove his worth as a Manager.
Even though the Mariners had a tremendously successful and memorable season in 2025, the team was expected by most projections to be where they were. That being said, Wilson should shoulder much of the blame for the series loss in the ALCS. The Mariners not only had a 2-0 lead in the series after two victories in Toronto, but they had a 3-1 lead in game 7. Instead of pitching Andrés Muñoz in the biggest at-bat of the game, he opted for Eduard Bazardo. Bazardo is a good player, but Muñoz is still one of the better relievers in the MLB.
Decisions like this have plagued the Mariners this season by keeping Muñoz in his ninth inning role. The traditional role of a closer is incredibly dated. While the Mariners have struggled with injuries in the bullpen this year, Wilson mismanages high leverage situations by sending in relievers with minimal experience. Some of those players previously were just called up from Triple-A Tacoma.
The Mariners Simply Need More From Their Skipper
GettyIf the Mariners want to get to where they want to be, Wilson’s decision making needs to improve.
Landers concluded by saying, “Sure, he guided the team to 90 wins and a division title last season, but the Mariners hardly overachieved their talent level, and Wilson hardly covered himself in glory in the team’s ALCS loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. And now, in his second full year at the helm, Seattle has been unable to get out of second gear, leading the AL West by default by hovering just over .500 for much of the season. This team is simply too good to be so inconsistent, and the Mariners have too much riding on this core to give Wilson a much longer leash.”
The Mariners do have some struggling players, but Wilson does not help them by constantly shifting the lineup. His usage of Rob Refsnyder this season also has cost the team plenty of runs. There is still plenty of time, but Wilson needs to prove to Mariners fans that he actually knows what he is doing.
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