The Seattle Mariners have parted ways with manager Scott Servais following a disappointing two-month stretch during which the team squandered a 10-game division lead and fell behind in playoff contention in the American League. Former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson has been appointed as his replacement.
Mariners executive vice president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto stated, “We believe that we need a new voice in the clubhouse.” Wilson, who has been with the organization for 11 years in various roles, is expected to provide that leadership.
Servais, who was in his ninth season with the Mariners, faced mounting pressure after a failed road trip that saw the team go 1-8, leaving their record at 64-64 after previously being 13 games over .500 in mid-June. Currently, the Mariners sit five games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and 7.5 games back in the wild-card race, with little sign of improvement since their June success.
Having joined the Mariners before the 2016 season alongside Dipoto, Servais compiled a record of 680-642, overseeing a major rebuild that made the team competitive but ultimately not enough to secure a playoff spot consistently. He is the second-longest-serving manager in franchise history, trailing only Lou Piniella.
Along with Servais, hitting coach Jarret DeHart has also been dismissed. The Mariners have struggled with their offense this season while their pitching staff has performed at an elite level, ranking first in the league in several key metrics, including ERA and WHIP. In stark contrast, the Mariners’ offense is ranked last in batting average and has consistently struggled to score runs, with an alarming record of 6-42 when scoring two runs or fewer.
The team’s decline in performance since mid-June, where they went from a strong 44-31 record to just 20-33, highlighted the need for change. The acquisition of players like Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner at the trade deadline hasn’t produced the anticipated results, exacerbated by injuries to key players Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford.
Wilson has experience serving as a fill-in manager at the Triple-A level and has contributed to the organization’s television broadcasts as an analyst. Despite the recent challenges, Servais will be remembered for leading the Mariners to end the longest playoff drought in baseball by securing a wild-card spot in 2022, culminating in a series victory over Toronto.