Mariners move on from hitting coach amid dreadful season

The Seattle Mariners had such high expectations heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season. That is because in 2025, Seattle nearly made it to the World Series. Things haven’t turned out so well so far this season, as the club is 51-52 on the campaign.

As a result of that record, Seattle is parting ways with assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, per MLB.com.

“Hitting coordinator Ed Paparella, who’s primarily been on the Minors side, will join the big league staff for the remainder of this season,” reporter Daniel Kramer posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Seattle just hasn’t found the same rhythm it had last season offensively. Star slugger Cal Raleigh has dealt with injuries, while also having his share of struggles at the plate. He’s not the only one.

“Seattle hitters have combined for a .686 OPS this season, which ranks second lowest in the Majors, ahead of only the Blue Jays. Among other prominent offensive categories, the Mariners rank last in batting average (.229), last in slugging percentage (.377) and second to last in runs per game (4.03),” MLB.com reported.

The Mariners are next in action against the Texas Rangers on Friday. Texas currently has a half-game lead in the American League West. It is the start of a critical stretch for Seattle.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got another opportunity in Texas,” Mariners pitcher Emerson Hancock said, per the outlet. “You’ve got another chance to go in there, compete as hard as you can and maybe you get on a run from there.”

Seattle still has a chance to make the postseason, despite their record. Heading into Thursday, the Rangers lead the AL West despite holding a 51-51 overall record.