SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have hired Chicago Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler as manager, the team said Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Kanzler replaces Dan Wilson, who was fired after a disappointing 76-86 season that began with World Series aspirations. Seattle reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2025.
Kanzler was the Cubs’ director of player development, leading the organization’s minor league system, players and coaching staff. A former minor league player and coach, Kanzler has not managed a club at any level. He was on the big league coaching staff for the Houston Astros in 2022-23, serving as assistant hitting coach in his final season.
He will be the second-youngest manager in baseball behind Washington’s 34-year-old skipper Blake Butera.
“I am thrilled to join the Mariners organization and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running,” Kanzler said in a statement. “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.”
Kanzler was a 20th-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and played three minor league seasons as an outfielder.
After retiring as a player, he taught high school chemistry and physics in Katy, Texas, before Houston hired him in 2019 as hitting coach for High-A Fayetteville. He worked in a variety of roles within the organization over five seasons.
Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement the organization believes Kanzler can lead the club back to the postseason.
The Mariners won the AL West in 2025, their first division title in 24 years, and came within one victory of the franchise’s first World Series appearance. But a combination of injuries and regression by the bullpen and several of the team’s top offensive stars led to a 2026 season filled with disappointment.
Slugger Cal Raleigh batted .182 with 23 homers and 69 RBIs. Center fielder Julio Rodríguez and first baseman Josh Naylor also had career-worst seasons, and the Mariners scored just 664 runs — third-fewest in the majors.
Seattle is still the only major league team that’s never reached the World Series.
“Throughout the process, Jason consistently demonstrated elite leadership skills, high-end content and an ability to connect and partner with players, staff and front office,” Hollander said.
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