AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 17, 2025

Edgar Martinez

T-Mobile Park

Seattle Mariners

Pregame 5 Press Conference

Q. Obviously, being involved with this team for the last year and a half in your role, but also just the history you have with this team, what's been the emotions like for you just seeing this team be at this place that you've been at several times in your playing career?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yeah, it's been an incredible run. It's a great feeling to see this team doing what it's been doing. It's just very special to see what's going on. This is the first time that we are in this situation. We've been in the American League Championship Series before, but this time we have two wins and two more to go, so it's a great feeling, very special.

Q. 30 years ago, you had the base hit, the walk-off double to win the American League Division Series against the Yankees. 30 years later you saw Jorge Polanco with a base hit to win in the bottom of the 15th inning. Did that bring back some flashbacks for you? And what was it like for you to see that 30 years later, to have Polanco get that base hit?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yeah, it's been so similar, you know, the 1995 and this year, September. It looks very similar the way we played in 1995, chasing the Angels and this year Houston, and we're in this situation.

And then we have Polanco, his performance this year in driving in the winning run against Detroit to advance to the American League Championship Series. So similar. It just brought those memories from 1995 back. We just hope that we go even farther this year.

Q. You get to see how these players prepare now. What have their tools or technology do you think would have helped you the most when you were a player?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: I think the amount of information that is available, not only in the data about pitchers, but also how the video is used this year, the technology that is being used to analyze the swing, the pitches. It's pretty amazing. All that information, it would be very helpful when I played. We had to rely in those years what you see. It's pretty amazing the amount of information and the technology that's being used these days.

Q. Do you think you would have used it?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yes. Yes, I would have.

Q. Jorge Polanco has credited you quite a bit with what he has done this year and really understanding approaching committing to it. What is some of the work that you've done with him and how have you seen that play out in what he has done?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Well, I think that what Polanco has done is pretty amazing, and credit to him. He made some adjustments with his swing during the off-season. If you see him last year, he was open with his stance. This year a little closer. His hands, they're in different positions right now. He's very short to the ball, and he's more direct to the ball.

That's all him. He's very good at knowing his swing and knowing what he needs to do to improve it. All the things that I taught to him and the rest of the guys, it's about the approach and the plan and things like that. But his swing, he knows it very well and he can make adjustments from one at-bat to the next. That's all credit to him.

Q. With the technology and all the data, you had an interest early on in technology and computers and that kind of analytical mind. Not everyone has that. How do you help sort through the information that is available for players? Because sometimes there can be information overload, right? And how do you -- do you tailor that message to each of the hitters? They have made so many improvements since you've been here, what do you think it is about your message that resonates with the hitters?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: I think in part it's too simplified. Hitting can get very complicated when we have too many thoughts. We perform better when things are simple. The simplest you can do it is just see the ball, hit the ball, you know, what they told us when we were little leaguers.

But some of the information that we use, it's about tendencies, what the pitcher's tendencies are, how they pitch with men in scoring position versus, you know, nobody on base, and things like that, and how they're pitching to us as hitters because they pitch differently to Cal than to Randy, for example.

And when we know that information, it's very helpful. So Kevin does a great job with the hitters sorting out all these tendencies and the type of pitches they have and how the pitch moves and things like that. So that's what we're trying to -- in a way to simplify it for the hitters.

Q. Cal Raleigh has been a productive player his whole career, but how did he go from being a productive player, solid, to a historic 60-homer season? What was the difference?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Cal, he knows the league better now. The last couple of years, he's still kind of knowing the pitchers, the league. Now he knows his swing so much better. He makes adjustments. He knows how they're pitching to him, and he can make an adjustment also from one at-bat to the next.

So he's growing. He keeps growing as a hitter. His potential to hit homers has always been there. He's just a power hitter. But now he's a good hitter with power. If you see him, he might get fooled with a pitch, and he makes adjustment when he gets fooled, and if the pitcher makes a mistake with that pitch, he takes advantage of it.

Mechanically, he has done a really good job at improving his mechanics. It's been a lot of fun to watch him. His temperament is really stable. He don't get too high, he don't get too low, and he just keeps getting better.

Q. What are some of those mechanical adjustments that he's locked in on this year to improve?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: I think he's much better at staying behind the ball. And especially from the right side, he's staying behind the ball really well and that's making a difference, especially from the right side.

Q. What's it been like for you to see Dan in this role, be in the dugout with him every day, and how have you seen him kind of grow into his role as a first-time manager?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: I knew that Dan, always since we played together, he's been a great leader, his ability to communicate with players. As catcher, he did an amazing job communicating with the pitchers when he played. His skill has always been there. Very positive mindset. I think those communication skills has been great for the team. So it's been really fun to be there with him during this last year and this year, and I mean, he just keeps getting better as well.

Q. There's been so much talk among the players of just the synergy between you, Kevin, and Bobby. With the way the last two games have gone, is it just for the hitting staff continuing to preach staying true to who you are, just making those adjustments where you have to, or is there a point where the hitting staff identifies something and maybe interjects a little bit, whether it be individually with players who are slumping or just kind of a wholesale lineup advice?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yeah, I think the message continues to be the same, what we have shared with the players throughout the year. You know, the last two games have been -- I believe that the Bieber and Scherzer, they pitched really well. I mean, credit to them. They made pitches. The first inning for Bieber was -- he didn't have the great command like Scherzer yesterday, the first inning. But the second inning, you know, they both found their secondary pitches and made great pitches.

So our team always has been able to make adjustments, and we just hope that today is that day that we make adjustments and take advantage of mistakes. But the message continues to be the same. We will have a meeting today and we will talk to them about what we need to do to win today.

Q. Talking about Cal earlier and the fixes with him, where have you seen Julio take the biggest steps from the All-Star break that have made him ready here for this month?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yeah, he also made some adjustments with his position of his hands. He still is more short to the ball and his approach has been great in the second half, and the skill that he has, he has great tools. It's just a matter of time for him.

So mentality, his mentality is always really positive. He comes ready to play every day. It's been fun to watch the last second half of the season. He's just a very talented player.

Q. When you were playing with Dan, did he come across as one of those players that one day would become a manager, and did you ever think that you guys would be coaching together 20 years after you guys played together?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: I believe that, that he's always had that potential in him to be a great manager. But coaching together, I didn't see that (laughing). But it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun the last month, last year, and obviously this year. But, yeah, I didn't know that I was going to be coaching. But, yeah, it's been a lot of fun.

Q. You kind of just touched on it there for a second, but what has been different for you personally coaching this time around versus when you previously were working as a hitting coach here now that you've gone through it for a season plus a little bit?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: Yeah, this year, I think that the players are -- the core is more mature. When I coached in -- I think it was 2016, 2017, we had more of veteran players. They kind of knew more, they knew them self a lot more. You know, guys like Cano and Cruz, those guys were more veterans, just mature hitters, and at that time it was pretty much easy because they knew what to do.

This is a younger team with a lot of talent, many skills. They have a great desire to win. Obviously, very talented. And they're very close. And a great group of guys. It's a joy just to be part of it. You see that that core is staying together. They have a great potential to go all the way. And when you, as a coach, see that in your mind, that this can happen, it's exciting to come to work with these guys.

Q. You talk about a chance to go all the way and obviously we all know that this team hasn't had that chance since you were playing in '95, 2000, 2001. What is it about this team that is the one that has been able to get this far? What makes this team so good, so special?

EDGAR MARTINEZ: You know, if you see the pitching that we have, starting pitching, relievers, the defense, the skill set. The guys can steal bases, they can hit for power, they can pitch. That's a lot of ingredients to win all the way. When you stay healthy, which helps, it's a big part, obviously.

But it's just all the ingredients are there, and they have been playing together for a while. They are mature enough to be at a level that can go all the way. I think that's -- I just feel that all the ingredients are -- the team has all the ingredients to win.