Cole Young’s Spring Explosion Just Shifted Mariners’ Second Base Conversation

There was a point earlier this spring when the Mariners’ second base battle still felt open enough for real debate. Cole Young wasn’t exactly running away with it, and with names like Leo Rivas, Ryan Bliss, and even the long-view presence of Colt Emerson floating around the broader conversation, it was fair to wonder whether Seattle might still be sorting this thing out right up until Opening Day.

That conversation looks a whole lot different now. Young has gone completely nuclear in camp, and it is getting harder by the day to frame this as anything other than a player grabbing the job. After a monster showing on March 20 against Cleveland, he was up to a team-leading six home runs and 18 RBI while slashing .294/.368/.725 with a 1.093 OPS in Cactus League play. His six spring homers are the most by a Mariner in camp since Daniel Vogelbach hit seven in 2018.

Cole Young’s Breakout Spring Just Took Control Of Mariners’ Second Base Job

The wild part? These are not wall-scrapers sneaking over the fence in the Arizona air. Young is hitting the ball like someone who showed up this spring with a point to make. His 478-foot moonshot on Friday was the kind of home run that makes you stop what you’re doing and laugh a little, mostly because those are the kinds of balls you expect Lazaro Montes to hit, not the 22-year-old middle infielder still trying to force his way into the conversation.

Cole Young just DEMOLISHED this baseball

478 feet, the longest HR of the spring so farpic.twitter.com/wpQeGlXOSr
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) March 21, 2026

This feels like a player changing the tone of the conversation around him. The Mariners have been telling us for a while that they believe in Young. Jerry Dipoto said earlier this month that Young “looks unbelievable right now,” and MLB.com reported that Seattle entered camp with him atop the depth chart at second despite other ways they could have tried to insulate that spot. Add in the reporting from February that the Mariners were reluctant to include Young in trade talks involving Ketel Marte, and it’s pretty obvious this organization has a long-term view on him.

Young isn’t just having a nice spring. He’s making it much harder to justify any version of the second base debate that doesn’t start with him. Leo Rivas can help. Ryan Bliss still has traits worth liking. Colt Emerson is still a huge part of this team’s future. But Young is the one forcing the issue right now, and he is doing it with impact, not just polish.

If Young is not only ready to hold down second base, but ready to bring real extra-base damage with it, then this stops being a conversation about whether the Mariners can live with him there. It becomes a conversation about how much better their lineup looks because he is there.

A few weeks ago, the second base picture still felt unsettled. Right now, it feels like Cole Young saw the opening, kicked the door off the hinges, and told everyone else to figure it out from there.