Edgar Martinez returns as Seattle Mariners hitting coach

Aug 23, 2024, 1:47 PM | Updated: 1:48 pm

Seattle Mariners hitting coach Edgar Martinez on May 15, 2017. (Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)

(Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

One day after relieving manager Scott Servais of his duties and replacing him with Dan Wilson, the Seattle Mariners announced Friday afternoon that Hall of Fame designated hitter Edgar Martinez will be the club’s hitting coach for the remainder of the season.

Drayer: Looking at Scott Servais’ legacy, why Mariners let him go

Martinez replaces Jarret DeHart, who was one of Seattle’s hitting coaches for the past two seasons before he was let go along with Servais on Thursday.

As the Mariners look to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive, Martinez will be tasked with helping a struggling Seattle lineup that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in nearly every major statistical category.

“I want to thank Edgar for agreeing to join us for the remainder of the season,” Wilson said in a statement. “I’m confident his deep knowledge of hitting and experience with our hitters will be a great addition.”

This will be Martinez’s second stint as the Mariners’ hitting coach. He also held the position from 2015 through 2018, overseeing a lineup that tied for fifth in the majors in batting average over those four seasons.

Martinez stepped down from the role after the 2018 season, but has remained active in the organization. He has spent the past six seasons as Seattle’s organizational hitting adviser, working with batters across every level of the organization.

Martinez, arguably the greatest designated hitter in MLB history, spent his entire 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Mariners. Wilson and Martinez were teammates in Seattle for 11 seasons, from 1994 to 2004. They played together on each of the franchise’s first four playoff teams.

“When Dan reached out to me, I told him that I’d be happy to assist him this season in whatever way I could,” Martinez said. “I know the talent and work ethic this group of hitters has and I hope I can be of help to them.”

The coaching staff shakeup comes on the heels of a two-month collapse that has severely dented Seattle’s playoff hopes.

The Mariners held a 10-game lead atop the American League West on June 18, but have since fallen all the way back to .500 with a dismal 20-33 stretch – capped by a disastrous 1-8 road trip that concluded on Wednesday night. Seattle is now 64-64, sitting 5.5 games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West and 7.5 games out of the AL’s final wild-card spot.

The Mariners have been hampered by their season-long struggles at the plate, which have overshadowed an elite Seattle pitching staff that leads the majors in ERA. The Mariners rank 27th in runs per game (3.93), dead-last in batting average (.216), 29th in slugging percentage (.365) and 28th in OPS (.666). Out of 128 games, they have been held to held to two or fewer runs 48 times (37.5%) and one or fewer runs 27 times (21.1%).

Over his legendary career, Martinez was a seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and two-time batting champion. He posted a career .312 batting average and hit 309 home runs. He is the Mariners’ career leader in games, runs, doubles, RBIs, walks, total bases, extra-base hits and on-base percentage. He is one of just nine players in MLB history to record at least 2,000 hits, 500 doubles, 300 home runs, 1,200 RBIs and 1,200 walks all with the same club.

Martinez also delivered the most iconic moment in franchise history, lifting Seattle to a series-clinching win over the New York Yankees with a walkoff double in Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series. Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. are the only two players to have their numbers retired by the Mariners.

While Martinez is holding the hitting coach role for the remainder of the season, general manager Jerry Dipoto told reporters Thursday that Wilson won’t carry an interim tag and will be the full-time manager going forward.

Wilson and Martinez will be in the dugout Friday when the Mariners open a six-game homestand with a 7:10 p.m. game against the San Francisco Giants. The Mariners Radio Network broadcast will air on Seattle Sports 710 AM, the Seattle Sports app and SeattleSports.com beginning at 6 p.m. with the pregame show.