SEATTLE — Three decades after “The Double” cemented his place in Mariners lore, Edgar Martinez is back in October again: this time as a coach, watching another generation of Seattle hitters try to finish what that 1995 team started.
“It’s been so similar — 1995 and this year,” he said before Friday’s Game 5 of the 2025 ALCS. “In 1995, we were chasing the Angels [in the division]; this year, Houston. It just brought those memories back. Hopefully, we can go even farther this time.”
In Dan Wilson’s first full year as manager, the Mariners have reached a stage that a generation of fans has only heard about. Wilson senses something familiar in the energy of the city streets and in the presence of so many franchise icons who have returned to be part of this ride: Martinez, Ichiro Suzuki, Jay Buhner and others.
“Edgar and I talk about it a lot,” Wilson said. “We kind of look at each other and remember what it was like. Seeing T-Mobile Park again like it was in 2001 — it just makes you feel great. Having other guys around who experienced it the last time really makes it special again.”
Martinez has been more than a ceremonial presence. Serving as the senior director of hitting strategy alongside hitting coaches Kevin Seitzer and Bobby Magallanes, he’s become a vital voice in shaping the Mariners’ offense. Wilson said bringing Martinez back was the easiest decision he made after taking the job.
“Edgar was the first call I made,” Wilson said. “I don’t know of a guy who handles offense better. When you look at Edgar, he was a great hitter, but he also has the ability to explain it — not just the physicalness, but also the mental approach. It’s all-inclusive.”
Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez has been one of Martinez’s most ardent students. Their bond, Rodríguez said, extends well beyond the batting cage.
“We have been able to establish a really good relationship, just talking about life, baseball,” Rodríguez said. “I think he just has so much to offer to young players like me — and to everybody in the clubhouse.”
“What Polanco has done is amazing,” Martinez said. “He made some adjustments with his swing during the offseason. Last year, he was open with his stance; this year, a little [more] closed. His hands are in different positions right now. He’s very short and more direct to the ball. That’s all him.”
If Martinez’s generation built its approach on instinct and repetition, today’s Mariners operate in a data-driven world. Previously Seattle’s hitting coach from 2015-18, Martinez has embraced the evolution.
“The amount of information now that is available, the technology that is being used to analyze the swing and the pitches, it’s pretty amazing,” he said. “All that information would’ve been very helpful when I played. We had to rely in those years on what you saw.”
Martinez said much of his role is filtering that flood of analytics into clear, usable lessons. He credits Seitzer and Magallanes for helping tailor those insights to each player.
“Hitting can get very complicated when we have too many thoughts,” Martinez said. “We perform better when things are simple. The simplest you can do is just see the ball, hit the ball — you know, what they told us when we were Little Leaguers.”
It’s a message that resonates with Seattle’s young core. Cal Raleigh, already with four postseason homers after belting 60 in the regular season, continues to evolve into one of baseball’s elite power hitters. Martinez pointed to subtle mechanical improvements — particularly staying “behind the ball” — as the key.
“Cal knows the league better now,” he said. “He knows his swing so much better. He makes adjustments. His potential to hit homers has always been there, but now he’s a good hitter with power. If the pitcher makes a mistake, he takes advantage of it.”
Martinez’s steady, upbeat tone mirrors Wilson’s managerial style. Even as the Mariners dropped their first two home ALCS games to even the series vs. the Blue Jays, Wilson and his staff showed no panic. As Martinez said, “Our team’s always been able to make adjustments. The message stays the same.”
The Mariners have a chance to make history, needing one more win to reach a stage they’ve never seen. And with Wilson in the manager’s office, Martinez leaning by the cage and Ichiro perpetually in uniform, the franchise’s past and present have rarely felt more connected.
“All the ingredients are there,” Martinez said. “They have been playing together for a while. They are mature enough to be at a level that can go all the way.”
