Seattle Mariners finalize coaching staff for 2026 season
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 12: Austin Nola #23 of the Seattle Mariners runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Texas Rangers in the second inning at Globe Life Field on August 12, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners made three additions to their coaching staff – including former catcher Austin Nola – to round out their coaching staff for the 2026 season.
Nola, Carlos Cardoza, and Jake McKinley are the new additions to the coaching staff after a couple prominent departures this offseason.
"I am excited to welcome Austin, Carlos and Jake to our coaching staff," manager Dan Wilson said in a statement. "They bring decades of baseball knowledge to an already outstanding group of coaches. I am thrilled with our staff and believe they will continue to do an outstanding job of helping our players prepare each day."
Nola played parts of two seasons with Seattle in 2019 and 2020 before being traded alongside relievers Dan Altavilla and Austin Adams for first baseman Ty France, outfielder Taylor Trammell, catcher Luis Torrens, and reliever Andrés Muñoz.
Nola takes over as Seattle's bullpen coach, replacing Tony Arnerich, who left the role to join the Cleveland Guardians as a bench coach this offseason. Nola played 14 games last season for the Colorado Rockies and will transition into coaching with the Mariners.
Cardoza joins the staff as a third base coach after spending the last three seasons as the manager of the Frisco Roughriders, who are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. It will be his first job on a major league coaching staff.
Cardoza replaces Kristopher Negrón, who left the organization to become the bench coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason.
McKinley joins the Mariners after previously serving as the head coach at the University of Nevada-Reno, where he's spent the last three seasons. Like Cardoza, it will be his first season coaching in the major leagues, though he did previously work in player development for the Milwaukee Brewers.
McKinley will serve as the major league field coordinator, taking over for Louis Boyd, who is returning to a role working with the Mariners' farm system.
"Our success on the field in 2025 and our collective growth as a team is attributable to having quality people across the organization," president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "We feel that the additions we are making to the MLB staff this season are as exciting as any we have made over the years. Austin, Carlos, and Jake bring leadership, people skills, baseball acumen and unique experiences. We look forward to the many ways they will challenge all of us to get better in 2026."
2026 Mariners Coaching Staff
- Manager: Dan Wilson
- Bench coach: Manny Acta
- ML field coordinator: Jake McKinley
- First base coach: Eric Young Jr.
- Third base coach: Carlos Cardoza
- Infield coach: Perry Hill
- Senior director, hitting strategy: Edgar Martinez
- Assistant hitting coach: Bobby Magallanes
- Hitting coach: Kevin Seitzer
- Pitching coach: Pete Woodworth
- Major-league coach, director pitching strategy: Trent Blank
- Assistant pitching coach and pitching strategist: Danny Farquhar
- Bullpen coach: Austin Nola
- Bullpen catchers: Fleming Báez, Justin Novak
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting and the Seattle Mariners.
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