Dan Wilson might not have been named AL Manager of the Year, but he can still be proud of everything he accomplished with the Mariners.
The omens seemed promising a few weeks ago, when The Sporting News named Dan Wilson AL Manager of the Year with an award which is voted for by his peers. However, the Mariners skipper was unable to replicate this accomplishment on Monday, with the Guardians’ Stephen Vogt being announced on MLB Network as BBWA AL Manager of the Year for a second consecutive season.
Wilson did receive a couple of first place votes, but ultimately finished third behind Vogt and the Blue Jays’ John Schneider. In fairness, just the fact the Mariners’ former catcher was even nominated as a finalist speaks volumes about everything he achieved during his first final season in charge in Seattle.
The Mariners finished the 2025 regular season with a 90-72 record, the eighth such time in 49 years they had reached 90+ wins. They won the AL West for the first time since 2001 and was just their fourth ever division title overall, with Lou Piniella being in charge for the previous three.
Dan Wilson took the M’s closer than ever to the Fall Classic
Most impressive of all, Wilson took the Mariners closer than ever before to finally winning the AL Pennant and a first berth in the World Series, finishing just eight outs short in Game 7 of the ALCS versus the Blue Jays. Not that the M’s playoff journey impacted the final voting, with the 30 writers (two from each AL team) casting their votes for AL Manager of the Year before the postseason began.
Being a Major League manager can often be a thankless task, with them getting not enough praise when their team wins but also too much blame in losses. Even accounting for this though, it often seemed like Wilson was getting too much unnecessary criticism, especially for someone still new to the managers game at any level.
This does not mean the 56-year-old didn’t have his faults, with his in-game strategy and decision-making arguably being his biggest challenge. Again though, this was his first full season as a Major League manager and if nothing else, his experiences should help him improve in this area moving forward.
The Mariners have their man in place for years to come
Overall though Wilson was the right man for this team, with him offering a much more relaxed vibe in the clubhouse compared to his predecessor Scott Servais. His positive influence even extended to the likes of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, who 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.”
As for Wilson himself, even if he had been named BBWA AL Manager of the Year he still would have played it down, given how much he is all about the team as a collective and having manifested this mentality in the players. When we asked about potentially winning the award near the end of September, he said:
“Well I mean great players make coaches let’s be honest and this group of players is a special group. … So just to be a part of it – to be along for the ride so to speak – has been great. These guys have done all the work.”
Wilson is still extremely early into his managerial career, but at least the signs are promising that he’s the right man for the long haul as the Mariners seem genuinely primed to consistently contend for the World Series. Just don’t expect him to take any credit no matter what the team achieves in the coming years, even if he thoroughly deserves it.
Photos courtesy of Tim Rogers Photography
Do you see this past season as proof that Wilson is the man to lead the Mariners for the long-term? Or do you still need more convincing that he’s the best choice as manager in Seattle? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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