Mariners Top Prospect Gives Very Mature Answer in Recent Interview That Will Excite Fans
Earlier this week, Fangraphs dropped a great profile on the mindset and development of Seattle Mariners top prospect Cole Young.
Within that profile, Young had a very mature answer when asked about spending the season at Double-A Arkansas, which is a notoriously difficult place to hit.
“Something that helped me, honestly, was being in a pitcher-friendly park,” explained Young. “It helped me realize that I needed to get back to being myself and hitting line drives, because if I hit a fly ball, it was going to get caught. Hitting at our Double-A place, Dickey-Stephens Park, in Little Rock, made me a better hitter. Not really being able to hit for power made me hit more for average, and again, that’s when I’m at my best. I’m controlling the zone, going the other way, and hitting line drives.”
For Mariners Prospect Cole Young, Contact Is Preferable to Power https://t.co/y7nIyC7vtR
— FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs) October 16, 2024
The team's top draft pick in 2023, Young helped the Double-A Arkansas Travelers win the Southern League championship this year. In 124 games, he hit .271 with a .369 on-base percentage. He had nine homers, 57 RBI, drew 67 walks and stole 23 bases. The Mariners, who have struggled to make contact in each of the last two seasons because of soaring strikeout rates, could certainly use this version of Young at the big-league level.
The Mariners currently hold a $12 million team option on second baseman Jorge Polanco and are expected to decline it. If they do, there's chance that Young could earn the starting second base job on Opening Day next year. If they don't want to give Young the job right away, the team could use Ryan Bliss until they think Young is ready.
There's also a chance that the team could trade Young this offseason as part of a package to get more offense, but right now the focus is on how he can contribute to the major league roster in 2025.
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