ANALYSIS: Ben Williamson Could Make Roster Decisions Tough on Seattle Mariners

When spring training began, the Seattle Mariners major league roster, outside of the bullpen, was expected to be fairly cut-and-dry.

The Mariners brought back Jorge Polanco on a one-year, $7.5 million deal to start at third base. They signed Donovan Solano to a one-year, $3.5 million contract to platoon with Luke Raley at first.

That left second base as the only infield position still up for grabs. Dylan Moore was expected to be the front runner for the role. Ryan Bliss, Leo Rivas and Cole Young also are competing for the position.

And that was it. It's assumed that whoever doesn't win the starting second base job, with the exception of Young, will be on Seattle's 26-man roster as a reserve. If Young doesn't win the job, he'll begin the season with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

There are now several players on the roster bubble that could make it, such as Austin Shenton, Nick Dunn, Rowdey Tellez and Miles Mastrobuoni. But one Mariners prospect is also making the infield picture a little blurry.

Ben Williamson is putting together a solid spring training for himself on offense and defense. Entering Friday, he's hitting .429 (3-for-7) with a 1.143 OPS, three RBIs and runs.

Williamson has also made some great defensive plays. He made a dart of a throw to first base against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday for an out.

We’d be willing to bet that Ben Williamson is pretty good at darts 😳 pic.twitter.com/7CURyWduA6
— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) February 27, 2025

It's not even a full week into spring training games. But there's a question to be had about Williamson being on the opening day roster if this trajectory continues.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said the franchise is open to one of many prospects at spring training playing their way onto the major league roster.

There's questions about what Polanco will look like at third base. He's played most of his career at second and is coming off a knee surgery for a damaged left patellar tendon. Even if Polanco is able to play solid and stay healthy consistently at third, there's questions about the depth behind him. We have yet to see him in games at this point as his rehab continues.

Williamson could continue to stake his claim, especially if Polanco's absence continues. He's already 24 years-old and was a four-year player at Williams & Mary before being drafted in the second round by the Mariners in the 2023 MLB Draft. He doesn't have the potential of Young, Lazaro Montes or Colt Emerson. But he's a polished player with a plus-glove who can make sure the hot corner doesn't become a black hole on defense.

Williamson hit 34 doubles and three triples to go with 64 RBIs last season. He mustered a .283 average.

Now, Williamson's power is a concern. In 124 games in 2024, he hit just four home runs. But he's the kind of batter that fits well with senior director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer.

Ben Williamson mashes a double. pic.twitter.com/sN4BWkjq38
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) July 21, 2024

If he continues to play well through the rest of the spring, he could just make it a tough call for manager Dan Wilson and company.

Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.

Related Stories on Seattle Mariners

Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media