Mariners dismiss assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes following offensive slump

The Seattle Mariners have dismissed assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports. The decision follows a three-game homestand against two National League opponents, during which the team’s offence struggled significantly. Minor league hitting coordinator Ed Paparella has been promoted to fill the vacancy, marking the second coaching change for the franchise’s hitting staff in recent months.

Magallanes joined the Mariners’ coaching staff prior to the 2025 season alongside hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Both had previously served with the Atlanta Braves, who finished the 2024 season with an 89-73 record, placing second in the AL East before being swept by the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card series. Despite the Braves’ early exit, Magallanes and Seitzer helped guide Seattle to the American League Championship Series in 2025, achieving the deepest playoff run in franchise history.

The timing of the dismissal appears linked to immediate on-field results rather than long-term strategy. The Mariners endured a 3-3 homestand against two of the worst teams in the National League, prompting front office intervention. While bold staffing changes are common mid-season, the decision to retain Seitzer while removing Magallanes is notable, as the two were previously regarded as a package deal with a shared hitting philosophy.

Offensive struggles have been compounded by widespread injuries within the roster. Nearly every member of the Opening Day lineup has been affected by injury, with second baseman Cole Young being the sole exception. The team’s offence currently ranks near the bottom of major league statistics, leading to pressure for mechanical adjustments and strategic shifts.

Ed Paparella, aged 31, brings a different demographic profile to the staff. Signed by the Mariners as a free agent out of South Alabama in 2021, Paparella never played professionally but ascended through the minor league ranks. He is more than two decades younger than Magallanes and three decades younger than Director of Hitting Edgar Martinez. Paparella’s approach emphasises mental skills, referencing *The Mental Game of Tennis* on his social media, a resource also utilised by the organisation’s mental skills coaches.

Director of Hitting Edgar Martinez remains on staff, continuing his focus on the mechanical aspects of hitting. Magallanes had previously shared responsibility for these nuts-and-bolts adjustments. The dismissal recalls the firing of former hitting coordinator Jarret DeHart in August 2024; DeHart is now the hitting coordinator for the New York Yankees, whose team wRC+ ranks sixth in baseball.

The Mariners have not yet issued an official statement regarding the coaching change. The organisation now looks to Paparella to stabilise the lineup and address the offensive ineptitude that has plagued the team despite their historic playoff success the previous year.