For the first half of this spring, there was still a question over who the Seattle Mariners starting second and third basemen would be come Opening Day on March 26.
When the Mariners acquired 2025 All-Star Brendan Donovan in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, it came with reports that he was expected to play third. Second base was still a question, but Cole Young was considered the front-runner.
Advertisement
Those plans weren’t set in stone, however. Donovan is a versatile player and can play second base if need be, and Seattle seemed open to the idea of either its top prospect Colt Emerson playing third and Donovan playing second, or top 100 prospect Michael Arroyo playing second with Donovan at third.
Despite being universally considered a top 100 prospect, Emerson is still yet to debut in the major leagues and Arroyo was away from the club for several days to compete for Colombia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The latter of the two is also yet to make his big league debut.
This left the door open for Young to reaffirm his hold of the second base job. A former top 100 prospect in his own right, Young made his major league debut in 2025 and had an up-and-down season.
Advertisement
Young slashed .211/.302/.305 with a .607 OPS and hit seven doubles, a triple and four home runs with 24 RBIs in 77 games. He played his first big league game May 31 and was the team’s de facto starter for the better part of three months. He went through a slump beginning in mid-August that saw him lose his starting job to since-departed veteran Jorge Polanco.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) hits an RBI hit against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Sloan Park. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Despite Young’s unceremonious end to the season, both president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander reaffirmed their trust in Young.
Advertisement
Emerson’s relative inexperience and Arroyo’s WBC absence allowed Young to earn a significant amount of reps in Cactus League games, and so far the 22-year-old has rewarded that faith.
This spring, Young has slashed .294/.368/.725 with a 1.093 OPS and has hit four doubles and six home runs with 18 RBIs in 17 games.
Playing against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, Young went 3-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Two of his hits were homers and the other was a double.
Advertisement
The second of Young’s homers traveled 478 feet.
Young has also shown solid defense in the middle infield. He has a perfect fielding percentage in 51 total chances at second this spring and has helped turn five double plays.
There is, of course, all the caveats that this is spring training. It will take production in the regular season for Young to permanently secure his spot at second base.
But this spring has been encouraging for Young’s future prospects with the team. And if it’s a sign of things to come, then the trust the team’s coaches and executives had in him will prove well-placed.
Advertisement
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that’s free too!