Jerry Dipoto talks about the influence Dan Wilson has had on him

The positive impact Dan Wilson has had as Mariners manager is undeniable, with it extending to president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto.

When Scott Servais was fired last August as Mariners manager, there were plenty who believed he was being made the scapegoat for the team’s misfortunes. Among those getting the brunt of criticism from the media and fans alike was Jerry Dipoto, in some cases resulting in the belief that he had effectively thrown Servais under the bus in order to save his own skin.

In fairness to Dipoto, he wasn’t happy about what had transpired, with him feeling bad about what happened to Servais. As per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, following official confirmation of the firing he said:

“I’ve known Scott for, boy, three decades. Scott’s been my friend for many, many years, and I can’t stress enough how tough this day was for me — and tougher for him, frankly. And that’s hard for me to put into words.”

In any event it was evident that Dipoto did not have much runway left, meaning whoever came in as Servais’ replacement would double as the last chance saloon for the former Los Angeles Angels general manager. As such, there was plenty of surprise with the decision to give the manager’s job to Dan Wilson, who had no experience in the role in the Majors, or indeed at any level.

2025 season the biggest yet for Jerry Dipoto

Given the nature of the specific hire, this led to the theory that the decision to bring in Wilson was made at the very top of the food chain in Seattle. No matter the reality though, the 2025 season was set up as arguably the most important of Dipoto’s tenure with the Mariners irrespective of his job role within the organization.

To be clear, Dipoto has done plenty extremely well in Seattle since being hired by the Mariners back in 2015. He has particularly excelled as discovering, drafting and developing young talent, which has resulted in the M’s continually having one of the best farm systems in baseball.

However, for all the success the 57-year-old has had with the Mariners, there has still been copious amounts of criticism about the team’s inability to find postseason success, with just one playoff trip in his time in Seattle. As such, he more than anyone has benefited immensely from the M’s first division title since 2001 and securing the second AL seed and the invaluable first round bye which comes with this.

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Jerry Dipoto very appreciative of Dan Wilson

Dipoto has plenty of confidence in himself, but acknowledges that Wilson’s success as manager — with him on the shortlist for AL manager of the year — and positive influence on the organization overall extends to him. We asked Diptoto what Wilson has meant to him, and he said:

“He never rattles. Dan, he listens , he’s quiet. You can honestly talk to Dan about the weather today, or what we were doing in the seventh inning with a move, and his personality doesn’t change.”

Dipoto went on to explain how he noticed Wilson’s stability — both in baseball and in general in his life — almost as soon as he took over as manager last August. He said:

“There’s a consistency to him — and I said this to him last year in August and September — when watching him manage the team without ever having managed before, and just how calm he was.”

Dan Wilson has helped everyone in the Mariners organization

What was interesting was how Dipoto considers himself as a very consistent person, but concedes he has nothing on Wilson. he said:

“I would like to think I’m a consistent person. (But) it’s like hanging out with someone who takes it to a different level on just being consistent about who they are and his level of patience has taught us all a lesson.”

Of course for all the positivity surrounding the Mariners this season, they still need to have some success in the postseason. Otherwise, you can expect all the goodwill Dipoto has built up in 2025 to suddenly evaporate within a fanbase which is both desperate for and demanding that the team makes good on FanGraphs playoff odds and finally makes it to the first World Series in franchise history.

Whatever does happen though, at least Dipoto feels better prepared to deal with what’s to come, thanks to the positive influence Wilson has had on him. Ending with a message we all can take something from in life as a whole, he said:

“The game might be in a rush sometimes, but he is not. I learnt (that) from him, to take it a little slower.”

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

What kind of job do you think Jerry Dipoto has done this year? Do you have confidence in him remaining with the Mariners well into a second decade, or do you prefer to take a wait and see approach at this point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.