The Seattle Mariners announced Jason Kanzler as their new manager on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, moving on from Dan Wilson after a season that fell short of expectations. Kanzler, 36, arrives from the Chicago Cubs, where he has served as director of player development since 2024, and he has never managed at any level of professional baseball.
The hire makes Kanzler the second-youngest manager in Major League Baseball, trailing only Washington Nationals skipper Blake Butera, 34. He becomes the 22nd manager in franchise history and the third hired by president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto since September 2015, following Scott Servais, who managed from 2015 to 2024, and Wilson, who held the job from 2024 through 2026.
Why It Happened And What It Means For Seattle
Seattle finished 76-86 in 2026, five games out in the AL West, a steep drop from 2025 when the Mariners reached Game 7 of the ALCS and came within five outs of their first World Series appearance. Core hitters underperformed during the 2026 campaign, according to CBS Sports.
Dipoto described the search for a leader who would push the organization forward. “Our goal in this process was finding a manager with the ability to challenge all of us to improve,” Dipoto said in a statement. “Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills, and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle.”
Kanzler also issued a statement on the hire. “I am thrilled to join the Mariners organization and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running,” Kanzler said. “This team has an immense amount of talent in all facets of the game, and my coaching staff and I are excited to access and unlock this team’s full potential.”
The Mariners reportedly started with a list of 30 to 40 candidates before narrowing the field to Kanzler and former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada last week, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister, Padres special assistant A.J. Ellis and White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven also interviewed but did not advance to the final stage.
Hiring a manager with no prior experience at any level is uncommon, though not without precedent. The New York Yankees hired Aaron Boone from the broadcasting booth in 2018 with no coaching or managerial background; Boone led the Yankees to the postseason eight times in nine seasons. Dipoto is now 3-for-3 on hiring first-time managers in his 11-year tenure in Seattle.
Kanzler’s Background
Before joining the Cubs in 2024, Kanzler was a major-league coach with Houston in 2022, the team’s assistant hitting coach in 2023, and a minor-league hitting coach in the Astros system from 2019 through 2021.
What’s Next
Kanzler will manage the Mariners in the 2027 season. Dipoto is entering his 12th season as president of baseball operations.
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