During the last month of the season, there was an argument to be had that the Seattle Mariners offense was one of the most improved in baseball.

For most of the season, the lineup struggled with strikeouts, inconsistency and injury. There wasn’t a set lineup until August.

The offense ended up leading the league in strikeouts (1,625), but improved after hitting coach Edgar Martinez and Dan Wilson was hired on Aug. 22.

Seattle ranked within the top 10 of the league in several offensive statistics after Martinez and Wilson took the reins. But it was reported that Martinez wouldn’t be back with the team in a full-time capacity in 2025, leaving the team looking for its fourth hitting coach in two seasons.

The Mariners found Martinez’s replacement in the form of decade-long Atlanta Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Seitzer will be reporting to Martinez. The latter will oversee the hitting program as Senior Director of Hitting Strategy. He’ll travel with the team in a limited capacity, per reports.

Seitzer went on the Foul Territory podcast on Tuesday to talk about his new role and what his approach will be with Seattle.

“I’m in the beginning stages of digging in on these guys. But just going off what Edgar’s told me and (the) front office when we’ve had conversations through the interview process and after I got the job, some of the things they were saying is just Edgar got them in the middle of the field and using the off-gap. Getting back on the fastball, there was a lot of sitting on pitches, taking percentage of counts, or percentage of pitches in certain counts, and then kind of selling out to that. … Edgar just got them hunting the fastball, staying in the middle of the field the other way and just (being) aggressive. And for me, that’s my No. 1 M.O.. You got to have hitters that are aggressive. But the more you have a plan of where you’re hunting that fastball and trying to stay in the middle of the field — it helps with timing, helps with recognition, helps repeat that good swing path to stay inside the ball more consistently.”

Martinez was praised by players like JP Crawford and Julio Rodriguez for his simplified approach at the plate. Martinez will have a say in how the hitting program is constructed throughout the season. But based on Seitzer’s comments, it seems like his philosophy falls in line with Martinez’s.

Seitzer coached two National League MVPs in Freddie Freeman (2020) and Ronald Acuna (2023) and his offenses averaged a ninth-place finish in batting average in his decade in Atlanta.

If that success translates to the Pacific Northwest, then the Mariners’ offense will be much more effective in 2025.

MLB INSIDER FLOATS POSSIBLE INFIELD FITS FOR THE MARINERS: The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal discussed possible moves that would net the Seattle Mariners high-tier infielders. CLICK HERE

MARINERS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE 2025 COACHING STAFF: The Seattle Mariners confirmed reports that a long-time and well-accomplished Atlanta Braves hitting coach will be joining the coaching staff for 2025. CLICK HERE

POPULAR BASEBALL SITE PROJECTS BOUNCE BACK 2025 FOR JULIO RODRIGUEZ: The Seattle Mariners face of the franchise could be in for a bounce-back 2025 per FanGraphs’ ZiPS projections.CLICK HERE

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I know we were all ready to pop in a bunch of 10s at around 10:00 p.m. Saturday night, and here it is Tuesday morning, but such is life.

The Seattle Sounders visited LAFC and came away winners for the first time in forever, thereby advancing to the Western Conference Finals where they will face the other LA squad. They did so via an LAFC own goal, and a Jordan Morris winner in the 109th minute.

Rate some dudes. Put a 10 if it’s a 10.

Here is a direct link to the form; we hope this allows everyone to submit a response.

Here’s the scale:
(Substitutes can be left blank if the player did not play enough to judge)
1 – Not a pro quality performance
4 – Average USL Championship starter
6 – Average MLS starter
9 – MLS All Star
10 – MLS MVP-quality performance

In a letter to parents, teachers and staff sent Monday, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Brent Jones announced the school district will not close or consolidate schools for the 2025-26 academic year.

Jones wrote in his letter that he plans to withdraw his preliminary proposal to the Seattle School Board to close four schools.

In his letter, which has been republished in full on the Seattle’s Child website, Jones noted the Seattle School Board had directed him to come up with a plan for closures and consolidations to “address enrollment declines, budgetary challenges, stabilizing programs and services.” Jones and the district will not move in that direction.

“After much deliberation, reflection, and engagement with our community, it is clear there is no longer a pathway for this approach for the 2025-26 school year,” Jones wrote. “I am withdrawing my preliminary recommendation, and we will not pursue school closures and consolidations for the upcoming school year. The Board will vote Tuesday to formally approve this direction.”

Jones explained this latest decision “was not made lightly and reflects the Board and my shared priority: the needs and well-being of our students, families, and community.” The decision allows those involved look at the situation more and “thoughtfully determine” the next steps.

“The projected $5.5 million savings from the proposed closures are significant,” Jones wrote. “However, we agree that achieving these savings should not come at the cost of dividing our community.”

The superintendent went on to state in the letter the district will address the budget shortfall that exists through “legislative and levy renewal advocacy, as well as pursuing operational efficiencies aligned with our shared values and priorities.”

They came to America looking for better lives — and better schools: The results were mixed

Why the Seattle School Board considered closing schools

Earlier this year, SPS stated it is contending with a $104 million budget shortfall. Therefore, the district came up with two different options earlier this fall to close the gap in funds.

The first option is to operate 52 attendance-area elementary schools, closing 21 elementary and K-8 schools. This option would have saved SPS 31.5 million.

In the second option, the district would operate 56 schools, including attendance-area elementary and one K-8 school per region, closing 17 schools. This second option would have saved SPS $25.5 million.

“Many of our schools are struggling to provide the resources our students deserve,” the district wrote in a statement at that time. “To address this, we are working to ensure our schools are the right size and have the resources needed for preschool through 5th-grade students to succeed.”

As the fall went on, SPS plan went from as many as 21 schools closing all the way down to four closing and consolidating with four others. Four schools — one each in the Northwest Northeast, Central and Southwest regions — were announced as the places of learning set to shut down. They were announced as the following:

• North Beach Elementary, consolidating with Viewlands Elementary at Viewlands.
• Sacajawea Elementary, consolidating with John Rogers Elementary at John Rogers.
• Stevens Elementary, consolidating with Montlake Elementary at Montlake.
• Sansilo Elementary, consolidating with Highland Park Elementary at Highland Park.

“We understand this change is difficult,” SPS stated on its website at the time. “We chose these schools based on factors like building condition, space, and the goal of minimizing disruption to students and families.”

Protests from parents within the district soon followed, including one late last month outside Sacajawea Elementary.

All four of Joshua Newman’s children attended or are currently enrolled at Sacajawea. He said both state and district school leaders need to balance their budgets better.

“The district needs to look at its own operations and its own administrative costs and not lay the burden on where, frankly, the value is actually added and that’s the teachers, and by the individual principals and staff who are involved in the kids’ lives,” Newman said to KIRO Newsradio.

Rachel Kubiak and her child showed up at the rally as well. They illustrated how closing the school would close a part of their community and their lives.

“We’re really sad. When we heard the news, I was texting with my husband and just — I’m crushed,” she said to KIRO 7.

Last week, Jones shared a key update about the potential school closures, explaining the district was canceling prescheduled community meetings at the schools set to close.

“We are doing so as the board has decided to delay the December closure and consolidation hearings, in part based on important input from families that we all value,” Jones wrote in his statement available on  SPS’ website. “As a result, I am considering withdrawing my earlier recommendations for closure and consolidation.”

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.