Dan Wilson Will Not Return as Mariners Manager

The Seattle Mariners will be in the market for a new manager for the third time in four years.

by Logan VanDine

Sep 27, 2026

Dan Wilson will not be returning as the Mariners manager.

Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners will be in the market for a new manager this offseason.

Before their season finale on Sunday, the Mariners announced that Dan Wilson will not return as manager after a disappointing 2026 campaign. Seattle confirmed this news shortly after its 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

This will be the second time in three years that Seattle has changed skippers.

The Mariners began the season with high expectations after coming within one win of reaching their first-ever World Series. They ultimately fell in seven games to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS.

But despite that magical postseason run from a season ago, Seattle finished 2026 in third place in the AL West at 76-86, their first losing season since 2020.

As for Wilson, he spent most of his post-playing career in the Mariners’ organization as a color commentator and minor league catching coordinator. He was ultimately hired as the manager on August 22, 2024, the same day Seattle fired Scott Servais.

But after finishing in first place in the AL West during his full season as the skipper in 2025, followed by a thrilling postseason run, the Mariners’ disappointing 2026 campaign, which was marred by injuries and players underachieving, was too much for Wilson to last another year at the helm.

Wilson finished with an overall record of 187-171 over more than two seasons as the M’s skipper.

The Mariners will now spend this winter searching for a new manager. It remains to be seen whether Seattle will opt for an internal or external option for the position.