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Wilson was looking to join his longtime skipper, Lou Piniella (1995, 2001), as the only AL Manager of the Year Award winners in franchise history. And he reflected on Piniella’s influence during a live interview during the awards presentation. “I can’t thank him enough for the mentorship and the help that he has spoken into it,” Wilson said. “And I think the thing about Lou that we all loved and we all appreciated and we all respected was his desire to win, and his desire to win every night. He managed that way, and hopefully that’s something that our guys understand -- is the importance of the game tonight and being ready at 7 o’clock to take the field and get after it.” In 2025 -- his first full season as manager -- Wilson guided Seattle to a 90-72 record and just its fourth division title in franchise history, which represented a rebound from each of the two prior years, when the Mariners fell short of heightened expectations and finished as the first team on the outside looking in to the playoffs. Wilson was widely respected among players for his calm demeanor and patience, which was blended with a quiet competitiveness that made him resonate in the clubhouse. The Mariners nearly reached their first World Series in franchise history via a roster loaded with talent and star power, but it was Wilson’s culture and environment that allowed that group to thrive -- an attribute that doesn’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet. “In some ways, that can bring teams together,” Wilson said. “You spend a lot of time together on the road and traveling and on airplanes. In a lot of ways, that can really bond you and make you tighter. Sometimes, it’s tough on the body physically. But there are other advantages you see from it, and in some ways, we can gain from it as well.” It’s unlikely that Cal Raleigh would’ve reached the many historic records that he did without Wilson at the helm, who was far more liberal with load management -- players who wanted to play every day did. That’s not to discount what Raleigh achieved, but the catcher did play in 159 games to reach 60 homers. And his relationship with Wilson, dating back to the Minors, allowed Raleigh’s voice to gain even more leadership among players. While admittedly learning on the job at certain points in the season, the first-time manager did show growth as the year pressed on, which could play into both the Mariners’ longer-term success and Wilson's next shot at the Manager of the Year Award.
