Mariners President Jerry Dipoto addresses multiple topics at FanFest 2026
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Of all the players and personalities that spoke at the Mariners FanFest, perhaps none was more anticipated than Jerry Dipoto. The team's top baseball executive conveyed a positive mentality heading into the upcoming season, to the delight of fans in attendance at the club's gathering at T-Mobile Park this weekend.
One of M's fans biggest concerns are the vacancies at second third base, due to the departure of free agent of Jorge Polanco to the New York Mets, and the aparent holdout of third baseman Eugenio Suarrez, who has stubbornly stayed on the market for better offers that may not come. For now, it seems the team is going with young players at those positions, but Dipoto says don't count out a'sudden-death' deal.
“I do think there is one more player that is coming along for the ride that is not in a Mariners uniform just yet,” Dipoto said.
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Dipoto also touched on the topic of Colt Emerson, the team's #1 prospect, who will be near the front of the line in terms of shot to be the club's starting third baseman. With Spring Training still a handful of days away, it sounds like Dipoto is already anointing the 20-year-old as the next chosen one.
“He’s not going to knock on the door. He’s just going to knock it down. You know when you are watching it,” Dipoto said. “We trust that if these guys come into spring training and do their thing and are ready to go, we are going to give them their chance.”
Colt Emerson will be a key contributor in 2026
While many around the game assumed Emerson would be on the 2026 roster, and now, that's almost a foregone conclusion. But his stepping into a starter's role was something that many MLB analysts thought would happen gradually. But not longtime columnist and commentator Jeff Passan, who recently stated that the team should go full speed with the rookie during an appearance on Seattle Sports' Brock & Salk.
“If the Mariners, for any reason, were to start Colt Emerson – particularly at shortstop – if not at the beginning of the season, then toward the beginning, that tells you the amount of faith that they’ve got the kid,” Passan said. “And I could tell you with my words they adore him, they think he’s going to be a star.”
Playing for both the Everett AquaSox and the Arkansas Travelers in 2025, Colt Emerson hit .278, with 14 home runs, 68 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 479 at-bats. He was also named the Northwest League Player of the Week for his strong performance with the AquaSox in July. The Mariners chose not to call him up last September, so he starts off his rookie campaign with zero MLB statistics.
