With Brendan Donovan sliding in as Seattle’s new third baseman following the Feb. 2 trade that sent him over from St. Louis, it looks as though Young will get another shot at second. It’s a position where the Mariners have long searched for an answer.
Seattle’s Second Base Struggles
Since the trade that sent Robinson Canó to the New York Mets ahead of the 2019 season, the Mariners have yet to find sustained success at second base.
In fact, they’ve put out a different Opening Day second baseman in each season since the trade. Players like Dee Strange-Gordon, Shed Long Jr., Dylan Moore, Adam Frazier, Kolten Wong, Jorge Polanco, and Ryan Bliss have all been part of the carousel with little success.
Since 2019, Mariners second basemen rank 24th in fWAR (8.4) and 29th in OPS (.651). They rank in the bottom three in batting average (.225), OBP (.298), and slugging percentage (.354).
Over this time, Jorge Polanco’s 2.6 fWAR season in 2025 was the best of any Mariner at the position – and he only played 38 games at second base. Polanco is also the only Seattle second baseman since Canó to break the 2.0 fWAR barrier in a season. Like Canó, Polanco has also left town for Queens, New York.
The Mariners have tried to couple numerous options with J.P. Crawford in the middle infield, but have not found an answer. With Young slated to be their eighth Opening Day second baseman in the last eight seasons, a breakout at the position could make him the finishing touch to one of the most dynamic lineups in the sport.
Where There’s Hope
Young stepped on the field as a big-leaguer for the first time on May 31 of last year, making his debut at 21 years and 306 days old. Fitting for his name, he became the most youthful Mariner to fill the second base position since Ketel Marte nearly a decade ago. He even recorded a walk-off RBI in his first Major League game.
And for some time, things were starting to look good. From July 8 through Aug. 15, Young played in 26 games and slashed .292/.427/.486/.913 for a 166 wRC+.