Kanzler's 'unique path' arrives in Seattle as Mariners' new manager

SEATTLE -- Until donning a Mariners No. 18 jersey for the first time on Wednesday, Jason Kanzler was largely an enigma to baseball fans in the Pacific Northwest.

Who was this 36-year-old who, outside the deeper corners of the industry, few knew about?

What did the Mariners see in him that they were willing to make such a bold hire as their new manager?

When did he first come on their radar?

Where, beyond the limited public background on him, did he come from?

How did he make such a strong impression over the past month during an extremely tight-lipped process?

More than anything, why -- in his words -- is he the right person for this job?

“I bring a unique path, a unique set of skills and experiences,” Kanzler said. “I am not the traditional path towards managing. I'm the right man because I believe that every player and every person can be better, and I think these players so deeply want to be better, and to grow and to win as a unit -- and I'm excited to get that out of them.”

At long last, the mystery man of the hour was unveiled by the Mariners on Wednesday during an introductory press conference at T-Mobile Park -- where many of these overarching questions to his background were answered.

Kanzler’s extensive experience in player development, highlighted by his past three seasons overseeing the Cubs’ farm system, was among his leading criteria in the Mariners’ minds. His ability to communicate was evident throughout a 30-minute Q&A that also included president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander.

“Finding someone with Jason's skillset, who can develop while we're in the big leagues, who can connect an organization from top to bottom was a huge part of this,” Hollander said. “And he was by far the most impressive candidate when we talked to people about where development starts and stops.”

Kanzler was among dozens of candidates contacted early in the process and was initially surprised about it. But this actually wasn’t the first time he’d interviewed for a role in Seattle, having been considered as a hitting coach on the Major League staff in 2021.

And yes, one of his first jobs -- as a high school physics and chemistry teacher in suburban Houston -- was a foundational part of his journey.

“It has greatly informed how I do things,” Kanzler said. “I think when you get to work with anyone and watch your work in some way help them become better versions of themselves, it is incredibly rewarding. And I do intend to carry that into whatever I do.”

Kanzler hit all the right notes on Wednesday, perhaps as he did behind the scenes over the past five weeks.

He even showed humor when taking a lighthearted dig at the Mariners’ biggest rival, solely referring to the Astros as “the team that shall not be named.” It was part of an elaboration of his previous visits to Seattle, when he was a Major League hitting coach with Houston from 2022-23.

“What distinctly stands out to me is that this atmosphere is electric,” Kanzler said. “I think that ‘electric factory’ was even like a thing that was used. One of the things that excites me, among many things, is that I would like to ride the lightning with this team and this city.”

Since leaving the classroom a decade ago, Kanzler -- who grew up outside of Rochester, N.Y. -- has been climbing a leadership ladder in pro baseball. He began as a low-Minors hitting coach for the Astros, then was named their Minor League hitting coordinator before being promoted to the big league staff. He then took the job with the Cubs, where he oversaw their entire Minors system.

But this is his first foray into managing at any level.

When did he know this was a role he aspired to, and just as much, why?

“I realized I wanted to manage during this process,” Kanzler said. “This came about quickly, and I realized very quickly throughout it that managing a Major League club is just the pinnacle of what I was already doing as a farm director, where I had to manage an entire Minor League system.

“This is just at a way higher magnitude, with brighter lights with a third deck. But in the end, it's the same. I want to win. I want to develop people. I want to develop players, and I want to achieve something with a collective and a great group of people around me.”

Dipoto said at season’s end that a candidate with prior MLB managing experience “would be preferred” but that it was “not a prerequisite.” The Mariners interviewed many with that criteria, including former Astros skipper Joe Espada, who was their other finalist. But ultimately, they decided to go with Kanzler.

“Experience is good; in this case, we didn't think it was good enough to dissuade us from all of the traits that Jason brings to the table,” Dipoto said. “He checked almost every box that you could check in terms of career experiences. The uniqueness of his developmental path, I think, is going to go a long way with modern players.”

Those players are whom Kanzler will now spend the next month rapidly getting up to speed with, and some of those correspondences have already begun.

“That is probably my top priority,” Kanzler said. “I think building the relationships with the humans that I'm going to be around with every day is of the utmost importance.”