Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer (28) watches batting practice before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in 2018. Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners Manager Dan Wilson Talks About Hiring of New Hitting Coach

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Dec 19, 2024 12:32 PM ET

It's been a fairly stagnant offseason for the Seattle Mariners, who haven't done anything besides acquire prospect Austin Shenton from the Tampa Bay Rays and non-tender Josh Rojas and Austin Voth.

Thus far, the M's biggest moves have come on the coaching staff, where they named Edgar Martinez as Director of Hitting and Kevin Seitzer as new hitting coach.

Speaking recently, M's manager Dan Wilson spoke about the hiring of Seitzer and why the team went in that direction.

“We wanted, especially, someone that had some experience, but also someone that would be a good extension of what ‘Gar’ talks about,” Wilson said. “Just in the conversations that we had with Kevin, his idea of line-to-line hitting and using the middle of the field also is something that really resonated with us.”

Dan Wilson recently outlined the hiring process of his new coaching staff, what Edgar Martinez's new role will look like, his correspondence with Jerry Dipoto this winter, his expectations for a Mariners team returning most of its core and more...https://t.co/ZCOTZtwawl
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) December 18, 2024

Getting consistent messaging across the board is important and multiple M's players spoke about how much they enjoyed Martinez's simplistic approach once he was hired this past August.

Seitzer spent nearly a decade as the Braves hitting coach, helping develop stars like Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley.

He also helped Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson to new heights. The team won the World Series in 2021 with him leading the hitting group.

The Mariners went 85-77 this past season, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. As the offseason continues, the M's sitll have multiple needs to fill. The team needs a new second baseman and a new third baseman, while they could also stand to benefit from some additional relief help.

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

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