MAY 17, 2026 — SEATTLE: Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander announced today that infielder Colt Emerson has been promoted to the Mariners’ MLB roster from the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.
Emerson, a 20-year-old from Zanesville, Ohio, was originally drafted by the Mariners in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft out of John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio. Prior to being drafted, the lefty-swinging and righty-throwing Emerson won the gold medal with Team USA while playing for the 18U National Team at the 2022 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Following his selection by Seattle, Emerson made his professional debut with the ACL Mariners on August 4, 2023, playing in eight games before receiving a promotion to the Single-A Modesto Nuts to end the season. He returned to Modesto to begin the 2024 campaign, playing in 40 games while tallying a .293 batting average, 12 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 25 RBIs, 35 walks, and six stolen bases.
After tearing up the California League, he received another promotion - this time to High-A Everett where he made his Everett AquaSox debut on August 7, 2024. Seeing time in just 29 High-A games, before the season’s end in 2024, Emerson rejoined the AquaSox to start 2025 and became a dominant force for the eventual 2025 Northwest League Champions. In 90 games with the AquaSox in 2025, Emerson blossomed as a hitter and began finding his power at the professional level. He hit .281, collecting 16 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 51 RBIs, 54 walks, and six stolen bases. Those efforts led to a promotion to the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, where he debuted August 5.
Emerson did not get to know Little Rock very well, spending only 34 games with the Travelers. As he previously did at each other stop on his path, Emerson found his stride against advanced pitching, hitting .282 with 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 18 RBIs. The Mariners promoted him to Triple-A to conclude the season and he left a good first impression, hitting .364 with two doubles and two home runs in just six games played. Seattle also added him to their taxi squad for the 2025 MLB Playoffs after Tacoma’s season concluded.
In 2026, Emerson began his season with the Rainiers after being in contention for a spot on the Mariners’ Opening Day roster. Prior to his MLB promotion, he hit .255 with eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 26 RBIs, and 17 walks for Tacoma. Additionally, the Mariners recently extended Emerson, signing him to an eight-year, $95 million deal that includes a $25 million club option in 2034 and additional performance-based escalators.
In correspondence with Emerson's promotion, utility Brendan Donovan has been placed on the 10-Day Injured List retroactive to May 16.
ABOUT THE EVERETT AQUASOX: The Everett AquaSox are the defending 2025 Northwest League Champions and serve as the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Established in 1984, the club has been affiliated with the Mariners since adopting the AquaSox name in 1995. For the latest updates on the 2026 season — including community initiatives and appearances by Webbly — follow the Frogs on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or visit AquaSox.com. Season ticket packages, group outings, and picnic experiences are available now by calling (425) 258-3673 or by visiting the AquaSox Front Office at 3802 Broadway.
ABOUT MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Minor League Baseball consists of 120 teams across four classification levels (Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A) that are affiliated with Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. Fans flock to MiLB games to see baseball’s future stars and experience the affordable family-friendly entertainment that has been a staple of MiLB since 1901. For more information, visit MiLB.com and follow MiLB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.