The Seattle Mariners are trying to get back to the postseason for the second straight season, as interim manager Dan Wilson has taken charge of the team for the first time for Friday's matchup against the San Francisco Giants. Wilson will also have a new hitting coach, as Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez will serve as the interim hitting coach for the rest of the season. Rumors of Martinez joining the staff began to circulate yesterday, and it was confirmed by MLB Network's Jon Morosi on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.

The long-time designated hitter is one of the best players in Mariners history and played in alongside a host of stars in the 1990s and 2000s. He's also served as the team's hitting coach before from 2015 to 2018, before resigning. The next year, Martinez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The appointment of Martinez serves as another link to the club's glory days, as Seattle played its best baseball during the legendary hitter's tenure in the Emerald City. Former hitting coach Jarret DeHart was also fired on Thursday alongside manager Scott Servais. The team had one of the worst offenses in the MLB, and routinely wasted stellar performances by the club's pitching staff. Now it's up to Wilson and Martinez to help the Mariners get back to the postseason.

Edgar Martinez heads into second tenure as Mariners hitting coach

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Martinez had a long wait to be inducted into Cooperstown, but it was worth every second. He was one of the best hitters of his generation, and starred along such players as Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki. He's absolutely beloved in Seattle and has served in various roles with the team since his retirement. Much like Wilson, he's a lifelong Mariner, through and through. His presence on the coaching staff might be yet another stabilizing presence for an offense that desperately needs new guidance.

Catcher Cal Raleigh and center fielder Julio Rodriguez have done their parts, turning in solid seasons so far. Rodriguez might not be at the heights he hit in 2023 during his Rookie of the Year campaign, but he still leads the team in batting average (.260), OBP (.309) and hits with 109. Raleigh is the leader in home runs (27) and RBIs with 78. The rest of the lineup needs to pick up the slack though. It's a major reason why President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto fired Servais and DeHart.

Third baseman Josh Rojas, right fielder Mitch Haniger, left fielder Luke Raley and shortstop Dylan Moore have all played over 100 games for the team so far, yet each of them is hitting under .240. The rest of the starters aren't doing too much better unfortunately. Designated hitter Mitch Garver, the team's big offseason free agent pickup, is hitting .165 in 98 games played. With Martinez and Wilson now in charge, hopefully the offense can rise to the level of the pitching staff. Then a return to the playoffs may be will within reach.