By Paul Taylor Posted on

Dan Wilson steps down as the M’s prepare for uncertain offseason

The Mariners concluded the season with a win, but Dan Wilson’s tenure as manager is over and now the organization faces plenty of questions.

There was plenty of emotion on Sunday as Rick Rizzs and J.P. Crawford both received heartfelt sendoffs by Mariners players past and present, along with a soldout crowd of 44,761 inside T-Mobile Park. The M’s then went out and finished their 2026 campaign with a 7-3 over the Angels, which included Logan Gilbert pitching 4.0 innings with eight strikeouts and no hits. However, the biggest news of the day was the confirmation that Dan Wilson will not return as manager next season.

In reality, it has been expected for a while that Wilson would step aside as the manager, and speculation had reached fever pitch in the week leading up to Sunday’s season finale. It’s tough to argue with the move, given that this is arguably the most disappointing year in franchise history. However, as we’ve said before, the reason for this disappointment goes far beyond just Wilson, with everyone from top to bottom within the organization responsible for how things played out.

Dan Wilson feels blessed despite how things ended

Wilson remains one of the classiest people you will ever meet, whether it be in the baseball world or in general. And this came through loud and clear when he met the media postgame on Sunday, to tearfully read out a prepared statement and take questions from the media. He said:

“This season has been very difficult. And of course, the results have not been what any of us have expected. As a result, it was concluded that today is my last day as manager of the Seattle Mariners. I’m still processing this with my family and it’s a very difficult day. We love this city, we love this community and we appreciate the organization for what it has meant to the family. Since coming here as a player in 1994, we feel extremely blessed by all the opportunities we’ve been afforded. We’ve raised our family here and we will continue to call Seattle home.”

Wilson had already informed the players and staff behind closed doors, prior to Sunday’s game against the Angels. There will be other changes to the coaching staff although, as reported by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, director of pitching strategy Trent Blank and pitching coach Pete Woodworth are both expected to return in 2027. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander are also both set to be back next season.

There will be those who question Dipoto coming back, after making it just two playoff appearances in 11 seasons with the Mariners. On the flip side, his knack for drafting and developing young talent is clear, while seven winnings seasons during his tenure equates to the most consistent period in franchise history. From our perspective, we believe he does deserve another opportunity, although this now surely represents his last chance to prove himself.

Some special achievements and plenty of people for Dan Wilson to thank

However, this is something to be discussed further on another day. For now, this is about appreciating what Wilson achieved during his two-plus seasons as Mariners manager, including last year taking the team to within just eight outs of that elusive first World Series berth. He became just the second M’s manager to win the AL West and finishes behind Lou Pinniella with the second-best winning percentage.

Wilson made a point of thanking his wife for being his rock and solid foundation throughout his baseball journey, before mentioning the cherished relationships he has with the players and coaching staff. Then he turned his attention to the fanbase, as he said:

“Lastly, I’d like to thank the Seattle fans. You are our inspiration. Hearing T-Mobile Park back in October last year, and seeing the support you gave us, even during a difficult season, is greatly appreciated. Thank you for always being there.”

As much as Wilson received plenty of criticism during his time as Mariners manager, plenty of people feel bad about how this all played out. This again speaks to what a classy person he is and how he should serve as an inspiration to others in the best way to deal with adversity. His response was no surprise when asked if he leaves on good terms with the organization, as he said:

“Of course. This is, it’s just a matter of being able to step away a little bit, like I said, and process for a minute and begin to look at options within the organization.”

Mariners players know they let Dan Wilson down

As with Wilson, there will be a lot of people processing things following the conclusion to the 2026 season. The Mariners entered the campaign with high expectations and plenty of media experts predicting they would win the AL West and contend for the World Series. Instead they finished 76-86, with the situation made even worse by the Astros winning the division with a .500 record.

There’s no doubt that this remains a talented roster, but it doesn’t matter when the team doesn’t play up to their capabilities. In fairness, the collective sentiment among the players was that they let Wilson down. As per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Gilbert said:

“It’s definitely shocking because of the success that we had last year. But it was so drastic of a turnaround this year. … Unfortunately, I feel like we let him down in that regard, and he had to pay the price for us underperforming.”

Jerry Dipoto under pressure with his next managerial hire

Jerry Dipoto
Jerry Dipoto

Gilbert, along with Bryan Woo and Cal Raleigh, all talked about their love for Wilson, Interestingly though, Woo specifically talked about how the 57-year-old was always straightforward with him when it came to the need for constructive criticism. While you wouldn’t go as fair as calling it tough love, the balance was there.

Ultimately though, harsh or not, the results on the field seemed to spell out that perhaps Wilson is not the manager the players need to succeed. In this respect, it will be interesting to see who the Mariners give the job to next. Dipoto in particular, needs to make sure the right decision is made.

It is a measure of who Wilson is, that the Mariners do want to bring him back in another role moving forward. He also declined to go into much detail when asked if he has any regrets. Right up until the end he remained classy and we wish him all the best, while the M’s now prepare for an uncertain offseason with plenty to work on and figure out.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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