Pitching coordinator Max Weiner leaves Mariners for Texas A&M, a ‘huge loss’ for Seattle
Max Weiner, the Mariners’ influential young pitching coordinator widely regarded as a rising star in the coaching industry, has left the organization to become the pitching coach at Texas A&M.
“A huge, huge loss,” one Seattle staffer said.
Weiner, 28, was hired in December 2018 as the Mariners’ pitching coordinator, working with pitchers at all levels of the organization.
He’s been instrumental in the development of four starting pitchers in the Mariners’ rotation: Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo — all age 26 and younger.
Weiner is particularly close with Miller, whom the Mariners drafted out of Texas A&M in the fourth round in 2021. Just 22 months later, Miller made his major league debut with the Mariners in May.
During the MLB All-Star break, Miller was on hand in College Station, Texas, when Weiner was formally introduced to Texas A&M players earlier this week.
“We have a really unique pitching culture, and it’s a cool thing,” Weiner said in an interview with The Times earlier this season. “Our guys take a lot of pride in it. It’s competitive with our opponents and cooperative with our teammates. We’re trying to help each other, and professional baseball doesn’t always feel that way.”
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In 2018, the Mariners ranked dead last in baseball, systemwide, in their own internal “control the zone” metrics. In 2019, they jumped all the way to No. 1 in those metrics.
“When Max came in, it was a big shift,” Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth said earlier this season. “We started drafting and acquiring different types of players. We started identifying different types of traits that we know are going to be effective.”
Earlier this year, Weiner was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for sports.
“After talking with several sources in both professional and college baseball, front-office executives, scouts, major- and minor league players, it became very clear that Max is widely considered one of the brightest, young, energetic pitching coaches in the entire baseball community,” Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said in announcing the hiring. “He has been at the forefront of the science of pitching development while also helping and teaching great pitchers how to compete to win.”
There has been no immediate word from the Mariners on Weiner’s potential successor. Matt Pierpont is in his first season as the organization’s assistant pitching coordinator and third season overall as a minor league coach with Seattle.
M’s claim Oller
The Mariners on Wednesday added some pitching depth, claiming right-hander Adam Oller off waivers from Oakland.
Oller will report to Class AAA Tacoma.
Oller, 28, made nine appearances for the A’s this season, with one start, posting a 1-1 record and a 10.07 ERA over 19.2 innings.
He was 4-3 with a 7.11 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) for AAA Las Vegas this season.
Source: The Seattle Times
