The Mariners have spent years searching for an offensive identity. We should expect them to know how to fix a struggling hitter by now. As they prepare to hire a new manager, building a hitting program that delivers those answers has to be a top priority.

That might just be the biggest change Seattle needs to make this winter. Whoever runs the next dugout needs a hitting program that catches problems early and gives players adjustments they can trust. 

We just watched Tampa Bay keep its season alive with a pair of RBI singles from Jonny DeLuca and former Mariner Ben Williamson in the 12th inning of World Series Game 4. Facing elimination, the Rays found enough contact to turn a one-run deficit into a 4–3 win.

That’s the flexibility we should demand in Seattle. And nothing against Williamson, the desire is to have a guy on the roster that packs a bigger punch. But regardless, against October pitching, a lineup needs a way to scrape together a rally when nobody hits one over the fence. The Mariners have had too many nights waiting for someone to rescue the offense with one swing.

October Is Showing the Mariners the Value of Offensive Options

Consider how Tampa Bay clinched the American League pennant against Cleveland. The Rays built an early lead with stolen bases, a two-run double and a sacrifice fly. Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz later supplied the home runs that helped finish the job. That was an offense finding several routes to the same destination.

A runner on second with nobody out should give the Mariners a reasonable chance to score. A pitcher who keeps the ball in the park should still have to work through difficult innings. Those are reasonable demands for a club with postseason ambitions.

And simply telling everyone to make more contact won’t get us there. Meaning, they need better pitch recognition with the ability to expose an opponent's weakness. 

All of this requires daily coaching with a purpose beyond basic encouragement.

Seattle Needs a Hitting Program That Survives a Slump

The reporting on Seattle’s recent approaches exposes the problem more clearly than the usual complaints. Adam Jude reported in August that the Mariners emphasized pull-side power under their 2024 hitting staff, then shifted toward a traditional, up-the-middle approach under Kevin Seitzer and Bobby Magallanes in 2025. That approach initially produced results. By the following summer, the offense was searching again for the next approach.

That history makes the blanket charge that Seattle only teaches hitters to chase homers too convenient. The organization has tried different messages. But the box score makes it very obvious they’ve struggled to turn those messages into dependable adjustments.

A productive hitting department should have a specific plan for each player. Some fundamentals can be all-encompassing. But batter-specific plans would be huge. Which pitches can he damage? Where is he getting beaten? Has his timing changed? Is the adjustment improving his decisions, or merely producing prettier batting practice?

Coaches and analysts should answer those questions together. Players should receive instructions they can actually take into the batter’s box. And the front office should be on top of it, evaluating whether the instruction helps.

Injuries aren’t excluded from that evaluation. Jude’s reporting detailed the oblique trouble that disrupted Cal Raleigh’s season. Treating every struggling hitter as proof of the same philosophical failure would miss the individual problems Seattle needs to solve. Consistency means maintaining a reliable process while tailoring the work to the hitter.

Jerry Dipoto Has to Own the Fix

Jerry Dipoto acknowledged after the season that Seattle needed outside scrutiny of its methods. Now he has to give that scrutiny room to change decisions. The next manager and hitting staff need authority to challenge an approach, explain what is failing and act before another summer slips away. Their success should be measured partly by how effectively hitters recover when opponents adjust.

The front office plays a big part in this. We can’t keep loading the lineup with hitters who get beaten the same way, then act surprised when the whole offense goes quiet. Give the next coaching staff a mix of bats to work with, and have a plan for getting the most out of each one.

We’ll spend plenty of time this winter arguing over which hitter the Mariners should bring in. And that shouldn’t be a surprise. Some of the most exciting parts of the offseason and guessing who’s the better fit. But we should be just as interested in what Seattle will do to help him once he gets here.

That’s what keeps standing out this October. Some nights, you have to string a few hits together and scratch out a run. We need to see the Mariners do that often enough to trust it.