Seattle Mariners Top Prospect Cole Young to Take Significant Step on Thursday

Young, who is one of the seven M's players in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, is finally going to start at second base after experiencing some arm problems early in camp.

American League Future infielder Cole Young (1) singles during the first inning against the National League Future team during the Major league All-Star Futures game at Globe Life Field in 2024. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners top prospect Cole Young is set to take a significant step on Thursday, starting at second base as the M's participate in split-squad games against the Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Young will bat ninth in the contest against the Angels. It will mark his first start at second base this spring after he dealt with arm soreness. He had been relegated to just designated hitter duty for the first two-plus weeks worth of games, but did enter into the game defensively against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Back in action with ✌️ games this evening. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/8p4yZQglsL

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 6, 2025

Young entered the season on the fringes of the team's second base competition, but his inability to play defense seems to have taken him out of that mix for now. Regardless, he is still expected to contribute at the big-league level this year. Ryan Bliss, Dylan Moore and Leo Rivas figure to be the main competitors now for the starting role at the keystone.

The team's top draft pick in 2022, Young helped the Double-A Arkansas Travelers win the Southern League championship last year. In 124 games, he hit .271 with a .369 on-base percentage. He had nine homers, 57 RBI, drew 67 walks and stole 23 bases. The Mariners, who have struggled to make contact in each of the last two seasons because of soaring strikeout rates, could certainly use this version of Young at the big-league level when he makes his arrival in Seattle.

Young is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the M's organization, behind Colt Emerson and Lazaro Montes. He's the No. 49 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline.

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