With the announcement of their manager still pending, the Seattle Mariners hired CJ Gillman as their hitting coach to begin their coaching restructure. Gillman previously worked in the Mariners organization as their minor-league hitting coordinator from 2022 to 2025. He left to become the director of hitting for the Washington Nationals, who ranked as one of the top offenses in the MLB last season.
The Seattle Mariners still have yet to announce their new manager, so news about a different coach is a bit surprising. The expectation remains that they will announce their manager in the coming days before the beginning of November. Jason Kanzler, director of player development for the Chicago Cubs, and former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada are the two favorites for the position.
Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “Gillman was most intimately involved on the minor-league side with the Nationals, where he helped the organization make significant gains in exit velocity, launch angle and pitch selection while shaping new training environments and an entirely new hitting philosophy.”
Seattle Mariners Hired CJ Gillman As Their Hitting Coach
In terms of a new hitting philosophy to use Rosenthal’s words, the Seattle Mariners are in desperate need of a change. The Mariners ranked 28th in runs scored this season with several stars like Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, and Josh Naylor suffering career lows in several offensive metrics. Specifically, the Mariners struggled in those three factors that Gillman’s improved like exit velocity, launch angle, and pitch selection.
As the article mentions, the Nationals farm system went from with from 29th in eighth in wRC+ and 29th to seventh in home run rate. The Nationals also scored the third most runs in the MLB this past season as well, which Gillman was involved with as well. He also has reportedly worked with Lazaro Montes and Colt Emerson specifically.
The Seattle Mariners getting someone who is familiar with the young hitters is fantastic news for the organization and its fans. Emerson struggled in his first year in the MLB before missing the rest of the season due to injury. Montes showcased some wonderous power, but also struggled with contact and strikeouts in 2026.
While the Mariners Continue to Live In Familiarity, Gillman Seems Like a Great Hire
With the Mariners in search of bolstering their team philosophy, hiring someone with familiarity with the organization does seem important. Multiple players on the Mariners told Jerry Dipoto that some of those mantras were abandoned at the Major League level, displaying major red flags within Seattle’s coaching staff. The hire of Gillman seems to prioritize getting that philosophy back on track. He takes the place of Kevin Seitzer, who previously had success with the Atlanta Braves. Yet, with the Mariners, his hitting approach never resonated with the roster consistently. The team continually relied on home runs and walks but ranked poorly in situational hitting and contact.
Seattle Mariners Hitting Coach Hired With Manager News Pending