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Cole Young Appears to be the Favorite to Start at Second Base
MLB.com's Daniel Kramer writes that Seattle Mariners infield prospect Cole Young has the "leg up to make the team and would have to struggle mightily to lose his grip on the second-base job." The Mariners are "bullish" on the 22-year-old being their second baseman of the future now that Jorge Polanco is out of town. Young bats left-handed, and there's a likelihood that the Mariners avoid using him against the game's better left-handed pitchers. On those days, new utility man Brendan Donovan could shift to the keystone. Kramer has Young projected to hit eighth in Seattle's batting order against righties. The former 21st overall pick in 2022 struggled in his MLB debut in 2025, hitting .211/.302/.305 with a .607 OPS, four home runs, 24 RBI, and a 47:28 K:BB ratio in 77 games. There's not a ton of short-term upside for Young, and if he struggles, fellow infield prospect Colt Emerson could take playing time from him.
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
