Before I even write this, I know how it's going to be perceived on social media.

"There's Brady, just stanning for Dan Wilson again."

"There's Brady, who's OK with organizational mediocrity."

I've heard it all before, and I will hear it again. But I'm going to write this anyways.

The Seattle Mariners don't need to fire manager Dan Wilson. He's not the biggest reason that this team is 47-47 and possibly on the verge of squandering a ready-made playoff position. There are many nuances to this conversation that many people don't want to have.

I see it every day on social media: Fans want Wilson gone for any number of reasons, from a bullpen decision here, to a press conference line there.

Now, let me be clear. I'm not confusing Dan Wilson with Connie Mack. Over the course of 162 games, all managers will make a wrong turn here and there. Wilson is no different. I could surely point to a few this season, but blaming him entirely for the struggles of the group is low-hanging fruit.

Let me explain.

Dan Wilson took over from Scott Servais in a very difficult situation in 2024. The Mariners had blown a 10-game lead in the division. Wilson went 21-13 under those conditions, missing the playoffs by just one game.

Then, in his first full season, he went 90-72, won the American League West, and took the Mariners to the American League Championship Series, meaning that he was 111-85 in his first foray into managing.

If you don't believe that's a big enough sample size to tell you that he's a good manager, then fine, but these 94 games aren't a big enough sample size to tell you he's terrible at the job, either.

I have news for everyone out there. Every good manager has the benefit of good players, and every good manager has the benefit of those stars playing well.

Dave Roberts has won three World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2020. That's pretty good. Before that? He had four straight 90+ win seasons and never won the World Series. He was seen as a guy who couldn't win the big one and Dodgers fans wanted him gone.

Then what? The organization acquired Mookie Betts, a former MVP, and won the World Series in 2020. Then they got Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and they haven't stopped winning. Good players doing special things matter. Ohtani has won back-to-back MVPs as the Dodgers have won back-to-back titles.

Alex Cora won the World Series when Betts was the MVP in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox. In 2019? The Red Sox went 84-78 and missed the playoffs. The team wasn't the same without Betts putting together an MVP season, and Chris Sale went from an All-Star and a fourth-place Cy Young finish to a guy who went 6-11 with an ERA of 4.40.

In 2021, Cora took the Red Sox to the ALCS with the help of an incredible season from the 30-homer Hunter Renfroe. The next year, without that kind of surprise performance? They went 78-84 and finished in last place. And by the way, they did the same thing the next year too.

John Schneider and the Toronto Blue Jays finished last in the American League East in 2024, but an epic Vladimir Guerrero Jr. season and a great Ernie Clement playoff run led them to Game 7 of the World Series in 2025.

This year? Guerrero has just five home runs. And the team is 44-49, worse than the Mariners are entering play on Friday.

My point? All good managers benefit from great players and great seasons. It's not Wilson's fault that Cal Raleigh has gone from 60 homers to nine, or that Julio Rodriguez had all of two home runs in June. Luke Raley hasn't homered since June 11. Colt Emerson has just once since June 14. It's not his fault that Rob Refsnyder has played well below his baseball card numbers and that Victor Robles hasn't been able to replicate his 2024.

Until the players start turning it around, the manager won't really matter. Every manager needs the boon of the guys on the roster, and the Mariners players aren't providing enough of it.

Whether you think he was integral or not, it's an undeniable fact that Wilson took this team to the ALCS last season. If the Mariners fire him, less than 100 games into a season immediately following that, what does that show the rest of the baseball world?

Scott Servais got nine years of limited overall success, but the guy who won big in year one gets shown the door? What great managerial candidate would even want that job knowing that the front office and ownership are wired like that?

"If they can do that to a franchise legend who took them within eight outs of the World Series, then that will they do to me?" At least that's what I'd think.

And oh by the way, while injuries can't be blamed for all the Mariners struggles, they are part of the story. If I were a prospective candidate, I'd be saying "Wait, they just fired the guy who went to the ALCS and who dealt with losses of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Matt Brash (x2), JP Crawford (x2), Gabe Speier, Carlos Vargas and Brendan Donovan (x2)?" Tough break.

It's not what everyone wants to hear, and I know that, because this season has been frustrating for everyone, especially the fans, but Wilson deserves the rest of this season. He's earned that. The players around him need to step up and play better, or the season will spiral fast.

The latest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, talking more about the Mariners at this point in the season, and we talk trade possibilities with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney.

You can listen to the episode here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.

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