Dan Wilson breaks down Mariners’ offensive plan under Edgar Martinez

Jan 30, 2025, 12:22 PM | Updated: 3:58 pm

Editor, Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners’ offseason has been quiet in terms of transactions, but that doesn’t mean it’s been quiet behind the scenes.

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Manager Dan Wilson, who is entering his first full season as the skipper, peeled back the curtain Wednesday in a conversation on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob just weeks ahead of spring training, and he spent a lot of time talking about the team’s plans to improve the offense that are bit more under the radar.

Seattle has a new structure to the offensive side of its coaching staff, with Hall of Fame designated hitter Edgar Martinez overseeing the Mariners’ hitting program while longtime MLB hitting coach Kevin Seitzer will be with the team day in and day out. Seitzer will be joined on the bench by assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, who had the same role under Seitzer with the Atlanta Braves.

Both Martinez and Seitzer were All-Star hitters during their playing careers – Martinez was a two-time batting champ and Seitzer once tied for the American League lead in hits – but this is the first time they are working side by side. Wilson has no concerns about how the pair fits together.

“You can’t have two guys that are more aligned than Gar and Seitz, and I think having that presence – both these guys having been in that box and having done it successfully – I think it goes a long way as well,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be exciting to to see where this offense goes and I know they’re excited to get cranked up.”

Wilson made it clear the focus of the offensive coaching staff will go far beyond the mechanics of players’ swings. When it comes to Martinez, there’s a lot of emphasis on the mental aspect of hitting.

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“When you got a guy like Gar who’s going to be leading that department, you’re in good hands,” Wilson said. “I think a lot of times as hitters, when we lose confidence we begin to look internally. We start thinking about where our hands should be, where our feet should be, what our head should be doing, which is perhaps the last thing we should be thinking about. And I think that’s the benefit that Gar brings is he can work more in the mindspace and what your mindset should be as you step into the box.

“That helps really get you in the right place, and it gets you in a position to compete no matter what your confidence level is at.”

Martinez’s ability to convey a message is also of value.

“I think with Edgar, it’s not just the message that he brings but it’s the humility that he brings it, the way he delivers his message. He makes it very, very simple,” Wilson said. “Any time we can make a very complicated game like baseball simple, I think we’re in a good place.”

Offense has generally been a big challenge for the Mariners ever since they moved into T-Mobile Park in 1999, something that has again been a big topic of consternation this offseason. But this year, Wilson said the team will lean into some “small ball” tactics like they did during a strong offensive month of September after he took over as manager last season to help mitigate that.

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“We’re looking at it more than just a hitting front, too,” he said. “I think what we were able to do on the bases (late last season), we’ve got a lot of great speed. Just putting pressure on the defense and making them handle the ball, play catch and bring the game to them, so to speak, is really what our offense is going to be trying to do. And it’s exciting. I think it’s a great brand of baseball to watch.”

Hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson in the podcast at this link or in the either of the video or audio players near the top of this post. Catch Wyman and Bob from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.