Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 22. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

How Has Seattle Mariners' Dan Wilson Evolved as a Manager in First Full Year?

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 6:30 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners enter play on Wednesday at 57-51 and in possession of the third and final wild card spot in the American League, looking to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season.

If the M's are going to get to the finish line, they are going to need increased performance from some members of the starting rotation, including George Kirby and Logan Gilbert, and they are also going to need upgrades in the bullpen via the trade market.

Furthermore, manager Dan Wilson, in his first full year as skipper, will need to press the right buttons, something he's been working on as the year has progressed. Over the last few weeks, Wilson's managerial style has evolved, and we recently caught up with Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 to discuss his evolution:

Probably in the last few weeks, we're seeing him manage things differently in that we're not seeing as many automatic substitutions left, right, left, right, that we used to. We're not seeing as much bench play as we used to. I mean, Dylan Moore, obviously, is in a horrific struggle right now, but, early on in the season, and not even early on - midseason -- it was still almost automatically going to that player or a player who might be a similar struggle in that situation, and he's not doing that. I think the runway has been given to a lot of players, and now we're seeing if it's a tough starter, you'll see more of the veterans in there. You'll see more of Solano. Now, it doesn't matter what he might be hitting at the time, but he's faced this pitcher before, he's seen him, and he's not going to do anything unpredictable at the plate, and I think he's leaning on that more in the last few weeks.

You can listen to the full interview with Drayer in the podcast player below:

The Mariners will play the Athletics on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. PT. Jeffrey Springs (ATH) pitches against Bryan Woo (SEA).

This article first appeared on Seattle Mariners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: