Mariners Hire Jason Kanzler as Manager to Replace Dan Wilson for 2027 MLB Season

After being one of the most disappointing teams in MLB last season, the Seattle Mariners are turning to Jason Kanzler to get them back on track in 2027.

Seattle confirmed the hire after MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported Tuesday the team was expected to bring Kanzler aboard.

This will be his first managerial job. He is coming from the Chicago Cubs, where he was director of player development. Seattle also interviewed former Astros manager Joe Espada during the finalist stage.

The Mariners were expected to be among the top teams in the American League after reaching the ALCS in 2025. They brought back virtually every key contributor from that group, including all five primary starting pitchers.

Things never came together for a multitude of reasons. The rotation wasn't as good as expected. Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez had the worst offensive seasons of their careers.

On top of all of those struggles for the players, manager Dan Wilson frequently seemed lost with some of his in-game decisions. The result was a 76-86 record that led to Wilson being fired after just his second full season on the job.

It didn't help Wilson's case that the Mariners were largely non-competitive in an AL West that the Houston Astros won with 81 victories.

The failures from 2026 did show how high the expectations have gotten for the Mariners after their terrific 2025 in which they won the division and reached the ALCS for the first time in 24 years.

Kanzler is walking into a situation where there will be pressure on him to get the Mariners back on track, but the roster is set up for the Mariners to be good right away with better luck.

Kanzler isn't bringing any dugout experience with him to Seattle, but his track record as a coach is strong. He was hired to work in the Astros' minor-league system in 2019, worked his way up to the MLB staff in 2022 and finished as their hitting coach in 2023.

Following the 2023 season, Kanzler was hired by the Cubs to lead their player development.

Seattle hiring a manager with expertise in player development probably isn't a coincidence considering Colt Emerson, Kade Anderson, Lazaro Montes, and Michael Arroyo were all promoted to the big leagues last season.

That group, along with other prospects on the cusp of the big leagues like Ryan Sloan and Felnin Celesten, will be counted on to form the next great core for the Mariners.

Kanzler is walking into a good situation with a talented roster already in place. He just has to make all the pieces fit so the Mariners can get back to being a top-tier AL team like they were in 2025.