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Cole Young Emerging as a Breakout Second Baseman to Target on the Waiver Wire
After struggling to a .607 OPS across his first 257 MLB plate appearances in 2025, Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young appears to have turned a corner in his sophomore campaign. Across 149 plate appearances in 2026, the 22-year-old is hitting .276/.342/.403 with three home runs, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored, and two stolen bases. Young has raised his barrel rate from 5.6% to 8.1%, and his hard-hit rate from 31.3% to 41.4%. The lefty-swinging Young has also more than held his own against same-handed pitching, hitting .283/.306/.478 against southpaws. Young's batting average could be at risk of regression, as his strikeout rate is up from 18.3% in 2025 to 24.2% in 2026. He's also currently benefiting from an elevated.354 batting average on balls in play. Still, Young has taken over as the unquestioned everyday second baseman in Seattle and offers a well-rounded profile that makes him an appealing waiver wire target for fantasy managers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
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