YEAR IN REVIEW: First Game of Dan Wilson Era Stands Out For Seattle Mariners
This past year wasn't the season that the Seattle Mariners would have wanted. But there was some good to come out of it.
Cal Raleigh was arguably the best catcher in all of baseball, the Mariners starting pitching was also arguably the best in the majors and Victor Robles had a career resurgence and will have a starting role on the team for 2025.
Seattle also began a new era in 2024.
After nine years that included Seattle's first playoff berth in 21 years in 2022, Scott Servais was fired as manager on Aug. 22. On the same day, team Hall of Famer, long-time catcher, play-by-play announcer and occasional minor league coach Dan Wilson was hired to replace Servais.
It didn't take long for Wilson and hitting coach Edgar Martinez (who was hired on the same day as Wilson) to be successful in their current roles.
The first game of the Wilson era took place on Aug. 23 against the San Francisco Giants at the team's home stadium of T-Mobile Park.
Wilson had to throw out a depleted lineup that was without starting shortstop JP Crawford and Robles. It was also Julio Rodriguez's first game back in the outfield after playing several games as designated hitter while working his way back from an ankle injury.
Through two-thirds of the game, it looked like the injuries took their toll on the Mariners and the Giants would play spoiler to Wilson's debut as skipper.
San Francisco led Seattle 5-1 through seven innings, with the lone Mariners score being a solo home run from Luke Raley.
The Mariners came back to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with some small ball that became a pseudo-staple of Wilson's 34 games as manager in 2024.
Justin Turner, Josh Rojas, Leo Rivas and Raley all hit RBI singles in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 5-5. Rivas was in the middle of his first major league stint after spending nine years in the minors. He was filling in for Crawford at shortstop, and he would play hero late in the game.
Seattle's scoring blitz in the eighth inning sent the game to extra innings. With one out and Dylan Moore on third in the bottom of the 10th, RIvas hit a single to shallow center field to win the game 6-5 for the Mariners.
SEATTLE MARINERS WIN.
— Seattle Mariners ON Tap (@MarinersONTap) August 24, 2024
LEO RIVAS WALK OFF đź”± pic.twitter.com/qh1m4Bb6Ww
Seattle had higher-scoring games before and after Aug. 23 against the Giants. But that date represented a change in attitude and mentality that gave the team hope for the rest of the season.
Before Wilson and Martinez were hired, the Mariners offense was one of the worst in the league. Aside from a few exceptions, anytime Seattle would get behind by multiple runs, the air seemed to exit the stadium, not matter what inning it was.
But Aug. 23, and the whole series against San Francisco, marked a turning point for the lineup. The hitting improved under Martinez's approach to the point that, during the last 34 games of the season, the Mariners were in the top 10 in many offensive categories. They were more aggressive on the base paths, they seemed more capable of overcoming deficits and they were connecting for timely and clutch hits that they weren't before.
Including Rivas' walk-off win, Seattle finished the season 21-13 in its last 34 contests and were one game out of the playoffs. If it wasn't for the Mariners blowing a 10-game lead in the American League West, then it's safe to assume that fruits of Wilson and Martinez's labor would have paid off in the form of a playoff berth.
The walk-off against the Giants wasn't the "best" game Seattle played from a top-to-bottom standpoint. But it was the beginning of a solid run. And with Wilson returning in the same role in 2025 and Martinez maintaining a role with the organization overseeing the hitting program, there's a chance that the 34-game sample size is a sign of things to come for the team in 2025.
And it all started on a Friday in August.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
MARINERS "FRUSTRATED" AT POTENTIAL RETURNS FOR CASTILLO: The Seattle Mariners are still trying to find solutions in the infield and seem to be getting walled in the trade market. CLICK HERE
MLB INSIDER SPECULATES ON HYPOTHETICAL MOVE MARINERS COULD MAKE: The Athletic's MLB insider Jim Bowden talked in a recent mailbag about a potential trade between the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays that could solve the former's issues at third base. CLICK HERE
MARINERS ONE OF THREE TEAMS EXPRESSING THE GREATEST INTEREST IN KIM: Per a report, the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres are the three teams in serious contention for KBO free agent Hyeseong Kim. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
