Mariners To Hire CJ Gillman As Hitting Coach

The Mariners are set to hire CJ Gillman as the new hitting coach, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Chandler Rome, and Spencer Nusbaum.  Gillman formerly worked as Seattle’s minor league hitting coordinator from 2022-25, before spending last season as the Nationals’ director of hitting.

Kevin Seitzer worked as the Mariners’ hitting coach in 2025-26 before being let go at season’s end, as part of a wider staff shake-up that included three other coaches and manager Dan Wilson.  Gillman is the first new name appointed to one of those staff vacancies, ahead of even a new skipper (though Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler are reportedly the two finalists for the job).

The next manager will surely get some input on the 2027 coaching staff, but as the Athletic trio note, it makes sense that the Mariners would want to lock Gillman in place now.  Beyond his prior knowledge of the M’s organization, Gillman seemed to make a big impact in his one year in Washington, as part of the Nats’ system-wide overhaul once Paul Toboni took over as president of baseball operations.  The director of hitting role generally takes a broader view of a team’s organizational hitting approach, and the Nationals greatly improved at both the major and minor league levels in 2026.

Consistent offense has long been an issue in Seattle, dating back to Gillman’s previous stint with the team.  It seemed like the M’s had turned a corner in their first season under Seitzer, as the Mariners had a team slash line of .244/.320/.420 and a 113 wRC+ that ranked third in baseball.  The Mariners’ collective 102 wRC+ in 2026 still ranked tenth among all teams, but a lot of that offensive load was carried by Randy Arozarena, who is likely to depart as a free agent.

Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, and especially Cal Raleigh all saw their numbers decline from 2025, so getting that trio back on track will be of paramount importance for the new hitting coach.  Gillman’s past history with Seattle’s minor league hitters is also noteworthy given that former top prospects Colt Emerson, Cole Young, Lazaro Montes, and Michael Arroyo will be relied on for a great contribution to the big league lineup.