ANALYSIS: Can Cole Young Take Over Second Base Spot in Spring Training?
![American League infielder Cole Young hits during the MLB All-Star Futures Game against the National League on July 13 at Globe Life Field. American League infielder Cole Young hits during the MLB All-Star Futures Game against the National League on July 13 at Globe Life Field.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4713,h_2651,x_0,y_146/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_mariners/01jjnxws34p2vdksmtnk.jpg)
The Seattle Mariners entered the offseason with pressing needs at first, second and third base. With a little over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz., the only move the Mariners have made so far is a one-year deal with veteran infielder Donovan Solano.
Solano is expected to be paired with Luke Raley at first base, and he can occasionally play second.
The offseason has been unusually slow for Seattle and President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto.
The organization's farm system has had the opposite fortunes of the major league team. The Mariners have seven top 100 prospects according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Despite the quantity of highly-touted prospects, Cole Young is the only top 100 player expected to factor into Seattle's major league club in 2025. Fellow minor leaguer and third baseman Ben Williamson is also expected to get a look in Spring Training, though he is not in the Top 100 of any rankings system.
Young isn't seen as a surefire prospect, but he's the most pro-ready Mariners youngster. And it's not out of the question for him to surprise people in Spring Training and get a shot in the majors sooner than anticipated.
Young is viewed as a solid defender with a contact-over-power profile as a batter. And his numbers in the minor leagues support that belief. In three years in the farm system, he hasn't hit more than 11 home runs. Last year with Seattle's Double-A team and Texas League champions, the Arkansas Travelers, Young hit .271 with nine home runs, 57 RBIs and 23 steals.
Those power numbers aren't going to put fear into any pitcher on the mound. But it's also deceptive to the power Young actually has.
Whoa. Cole Young goes oppo field. pic.twitter.com/wrEX1JpvaH
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) September 2, 2024
An article published by David Laurila for FanGraphs on Oct. 16 mentioned that Young has added bulk to his frame and has made changes to his swing that adds some power at the expense of contact. The article said Young is up to 200 pounds compared to the 180 pounds he's listed at on his player page on milb.com.
Young said, in the article, which he interviewed for before being pulled from the Arizona Fall League roster with a minor injury, that the change wasn't necessarily in his swing but in his setup.
“It wasn’t really a swing change, but rather more of a setup change,” Young explained. “I’ve never changed my swing, although I definitely raised my hands a little bit going into spring training. I thought if I raised my hands I could maybe get more rhythm in my swing, but toward the end of the year I found that it works better for me if my hands are a little bit lower, so I went back to my old self, which is hitting line drives, hitting balls the other way, and occasionally running into a ball for a homer. Being short and simple works best for me.”
The "short and simple" approach is similar to the organization's current Senior Director of Hitting Strategy and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Edgar Martinez. Laurila drew the same comparison in his article.
Young's quote seems to indicate that contact is the focus rather than power. But the extra bulk and the emphasis on contact naturally lends itself to some over-the-fence shots. Again, similar to Martinez.
9/30/00 Edgar Martinez launches no doubt home run. #Mariners pic.twitter.com/yJKeffpD2s
— Historical Baseball Stats (@HistoricalBaseb) August 4, 2024
No one is expecting Young to replicate arguably the greatest designated hitter of all time. But Martinez's approach and mindset on batting does yield results. This was evidenced by the major league team's last 34 games of 2024 when Martinez took over as hitting coach.
If that is the end-result of Young adding to his frame and hammering down his approach at the plate, then it can lead to significant pull power at T-Mobile Park for the left-handed hitter.
Minor league guru and FSS Plus writer Joe Doyle went on the Marine Layer Podcast and also seemed optimistic about Young displaying unexpected power at T-Mobile Park.
"I think his game is going to translate to the big leagues pretty well," Doyle said on the podcast. "He strikes me as a guy who's going to take a lot of walks. He strikes me as a guy who is going to hit the mistake pitch out of the park at T-Mobile Park, which I think is exciting. And he's got the swing to hit it over that right field fence."
Young also has the experience of playing in a pitcher's park. The Travelers' home field of Dickey-Stephens park has the perception of being unkind to hitters. And after competing in that environment, it could help Young in Spring Training and the majors.
Young talked about that experience on Seattle Sports Hot Stove podcast, which Zac Hereth highlighted in a recent article, also published by Seattle Sports.
“It definitely helped me out a lot and it took a little bit, but looking back, it was really good for me,” Young said.
If Seattle doesn't bring another player in, then Young will have to compete at second with Leo Rivas, Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore for the position. Even if Young does perform well in Spring Training, it will likely take exemplary numbers to convince the Mariners to let him skip Triple-A and take the reins for Opening Day on March 27.
Other prospects in the system like Colt Emerson and Lazaro Montes have more potential, but there is a level to Young's game he's not yet reached.
And if he manages to show that off in Spring Training and the regular season, Seattle's infield woes could be seen in a lot more favorable light.
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