Cole Young Turns Small-Ball Mindset Into Massive Mariners Moment vs. Pirates

Cole Young wasn’t chasing the hero moment. That is exactly why his Mariners homer felt so important.

Jun 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young (2) circles the bases on a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It’s not like Cole Young stepped into the batter’s box to write a movie script. Which actually makes the moment even better. The Mariners were down a run in the seventh inning Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Luke Raley had just gotten into scoring position. Young came up with a simple job to move the runner. 

He got a pitch he could hit and accidentally gave the Mariners a storybook swing. Young pulled a two-run shot into the right-field seats at PNC Park, flipping the game and leading the M’s to a 3-2 win. It was his first MLB game in his hometown ballpark. He had his family, friends and former coaches all in attendance. The whole thing was set up so clean. 

But it’s not all about Young having a perfect Pittsburgh homecoming. It was how he got there.

Pittsburgh native Cole Young slugs a go-ahead homer in his first career game at PNC Park! pic.twitter.com/7fASDWspJG

— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2026

Cole Young Wasn’t Trying to Be the Hero for the Mariners

Young wasn’t hunting a highlight. In the postgame interview, he said that he was just trying to make contact and hit a grounder to the right side of the infield and move the runner to third base. That was the focus.

The homer ended up being the loud part. But the approach means so much more.

He could have tried to yank himself into the story and chased the big moment because the hometown angle was sitting right there. Instead, he just accidentally ran into one, showcasing true natural power and what he’s capable of doing when he stays true to who he is at the plate. 

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the emotion that came with the Mariners' win over the Pirates. Young went to games at PNC Park. He watched major leaguers from the seats. Then he came back wearing a Mariners uniform and hit the game-winning homer into the stands.

This is Young’s first full season as a Mariner and he’s given fans and the organization much more than they could’ve asked for. So far in the first half of the season he’s slashing .253/.319/.372 with seven home runs and 37 RBI and a 98 OPS+.

He’s given the team much-needed production, helping cover for some of the lineup gaps that have dragged Seattle down at different points.

It was also nice to see Cal Raleigh get back into the home run column for the first time since returning from his first career IL stint. He had already given Seattle life with a solo homer earlier in the game. George Kirby gave the Mariners six strong innings. And Andrés Muñoz closed the door in the ninth. This was a tight road game where one good swing changed everything.

And Young delivered it without abandoning the approach.