19th Manager: Kanzler Takes Over Seattle After 11-Year Search
The former high school teacher and walk-on outfielder becomes the latest leader for a club that finished last season 76-86.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Jason Kanzler has been named the 19th full-time manager in the history of the Seattle Mariners.
Kanzler, who is also the 22nd manager overall since the franchise began in 1977, arrives with a resume that defies typical baseball careers. Before joining the Houston Astros as a minor league hitting coach in 2019, he worked as a physics and chemistry teacher in Katy, Texas. His path to the dugout began with a walk-on outfield position at the University of Buffalo, where he won two Rawlings Gold Glove awards.
He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and played three seasons in the minor leagues. After his playing days ended, he transitioned into education before returning to baseball with the Astros. In 2022, he joined Dusty Baker’s staff, helping lead the team to a World Series title that year.
Most recently, Kanzler served as the director of player development for the Chicago Cubs. Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said Kanzler’s dynamic personality and focus on analytics made him the clear choice. “To Jason’s credit, I think he left us no choice throughout the process,” Hollander said. “It was just round after round, conversation after conversation, he dominated the process to the degree that I think we would’ve been foolish to take all that hard work and throw it out the window and not choose him.”
This marks the third manager hired by Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. Dipoto previously hired Scott Servais in October 2015 and Dan Wilson in 2024. None of the three had prior managing experience. The Mariners fired Wilson following a 76-86 finish in 2025, a year that began with high hopes after the team reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2025. Dipoto noted the club engaged more of its operations team in the search this time to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Kanzler expressed enthusiasm for the roster, which includes stars Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh. He described the atmosphere at T-Mobile Park as electric and said he wants to “ride the lightning” with the group. “I think we would be fools not to use good information for our advantage,” Kanzler said. “In terms of gut feel, I think there will be situations where there is not a clear right or wrong objectively, and that is where understanding the players, understanding the nuance, understanding the context comes into play, and it does matter.”
The Mariners have not announced a specific start date for the new season, but Kanzler begins his tenure as the club prepares for the 2026 campaign.
