SEATTLE — One of the Seattle Mariners’ nine top 100 prospects is set to make his debut against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Cole Young (No. 46 MLB Pipeline top 100, No. 51 Baseball America top 100) received his call-up Saturday morning, will bat seventh in the game and play second base.
The 21-year-old will be the fifth-youngest player in the major leagues when he debuts.
Young has had a red-hot May for the Mariners’ Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. In 26 games this month, Young has scored 28 runs and has hit 10 doubles, three triples and five home runs with 21 RBIs. He’s slashed .366/.467/.673 with a 1.140 OPS. He slashed .200/.327/.274 with a .601 OPS, three doubles, two triples and five RBIs in April.
Seattle manager Dan Wilson spoke with the media before Saturday’s game and had kind words for the former 2022 first-round pick.
“He was battling a little injury (in spring training),” Wilson said. ” … And I had seen him a lot in the minor leagues prior to. It was somewhat of a frustrating spring training for him just because he wasn’t where he wanted to be. But joining Tacoma, getting off to the start that he had and then being able to really turn things around and get to a point where I think he’s feeling a lot more like himself — that’s what you love to see.”
Young had an opportunity to break camp with the Mariners as the team’s starting second baseman to begin the season. The aforementioned shoulder injury mentioned by Wilson limited Young to 12 Cactus League games — six as a designated hitter and six at second base. Young’s disappointing spring carried into the first month of the season, but the way he’s responded has impressed the team’s top brass.
“We can’t forget he’s still a pretty young kid,” Wilson said. “And there’s still a lot of growing, maturing that needs to happen. And that some times can be difficult, but I think he learned that lesson very quickly. He did a lot of growing in a short time. This game, we talk about it so much, being such a mental game and in between the ears. When you can learn those lessons and learn them quickly, you’re much better off. And I think Cole was able to do that.”
Young will be given a lengthy opportunity to prove himself as Seattle’s second baseman of the future. And his manager is an early believer in him.
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