The Seattle system suffered a shock earlier this week when a prominent member of their Triple-A team decided to depart for the East Coast. Mariners utility player turned Tacoma Rainiers coach Shawn O’Malley is moving to the Washington Nationals, joining the MLB staff as an assistant hitting instructor.
O’Malley certainly has the resume for his new job. He received the O’Malley was named the 2025 Dave Henderson Minor League Staff Member of the Year by the Mariners. His Tacoma Rainiers hitters finished fourth in hits (1,455), third in RBIs (885), third in walks (704), and second in on-base percentage (.375), as the team won the second-half Pacific Coast League championship.
He joined the coaching ranks in 2020 and had prior stints with two other Seattle affiliates: the Single-A Modesto Nuts (2021-22) and Double-A Arkansas Travelers (2023).
The Mariners haven’t released an official statement thus far. However, he’s taking a huge leap ahead in his coaching career, and it illustrates his impact on the players. O’Malley has drawn praise within the organization for the development of several prospects.
O’Malley’s big league career was brief