Overview
- The Seattle Mariners announced Tuesday that Jason Kanzler will be their 22nd manager, replacing Dan Wilson after the club’s 76-86 2026 season.
- Kanzler is a first-time manager who spent the past three seasons as the Chicago Cubs’ director of player development and served on the Houston Astros’ major-league staff in 2022–23.
- Seattle narrowed its search to Kanzler and former Astros manager Joe Espada and chose Kanzler for his communication skills, mindset, intensity, and development expertise, according to president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander.
- The hire is meant to address Seattle’s offensive regression and injuries in 2026 by more tightly integrating recent prospects with the current core and by rebuilding the club’s long-term player pathways.
- At 36, Kanzler will be the second-youngest manager in MLB and will be judged on translating his farm-system leadership into in-game strategy, clubhouse management, and immediate improvements on a still-talented roster.