PEORIA, Ariz. -- For a Mariners lineup that for the first time in years lacks notable voids, there might not be a player who can elevate the group’s 2026 floor more than Cole Young.
Sound lofty for a 22-year-old entering his first full season? Maybe.
But does that assertion come with added pressure? Not as much as it might seem.
Young is slated to reclaim the everyday second-base job by Opening Day, after losing his grip on the gig down the stretch during his rookie season.
He won’t be a primary run producer, will bat at the bottom of the order and doesn’t need to be the savior-type prospect that his status as a former first-round Draft pick would suggest. Yet, a boost in on-base presence -- and maybe a little pop -- after an up-and-down rookie campaign could go a long way when the lineup flips back to the All-Stars that will comprise the Nos. 1-5 spots.
“Cole Young looks unbelievable right now,” Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said. “He took his offseason very seriously.”
Young crushed a pair of pull-side homers in Friday’s 5-1 win over the Rangers -- off a 91.6 mph changeup from Jack Leiter at the bottom of the zone, and a 91.5 mph mistake fastball from reliever Ben Anderson over the heart of the plate.
He now has three in Cactus League play, tied for the team lead.
“Deep down, I knew that it was going to turn around,” Young said postgame. “And I knew I put in a lot of work this offseason. So, yeah, I'm just happy it showed a little bit today.”
Young’s debut season finished with individual sting, given that he lost a regular role by September -- once Jorge Polanco settled back at second base -- then was left off Seattle’s postseason rosters altogether.
During that downturn, he looked overwhelmed in the batter’s box at times, thwarted by breaking balls and much better pitch sequencing than he saw in the Minors. And there were quite a few hiccups with his glove, notably when attempting to turn double plays and with his footwork and arm slot in general. Both areas have looked improved in camp.
“I look at both sides,” Young said. “It's like, ‘OK, what did I do when I was going well? What can I learn from that?’ And then also, I'll look on the bad side. It's like, 'OK, how can I prevent that from happening?' So I kind of take in both sides of it. But it's nice knowing that I did have success too, and it will be good for me that I failed, and can learn from that.”
Young’s rookie season
May 31 - July 5 (30 G) -- .230/.271/.270 (.541 OPS) in 108 PAs
July 8 - Aug. 15 (26 G) -- .292/.427/.486 (.913 OPS) in 90 PAs
Aug. 16 - Sept. 28 (21 G) -- .059/.169/.118 (.287 OPS) in 59 PAs
When Young debuted on May 31, he did so with one of the Minors’ hottest bats, with a Triple-A-best 38 hits that month. And he immediately made an impact for an offense that was scuffling, with a walk-off against the Twins. He also had another walk-off on July 20 vs. the Astros.
But biggest highlight came on July 31, when he demolished a 456-foot homer into the second deck off the Rangers’ Kumar Rocker that wound up being the season’s longest homer by any Mariners hitter. That out-of-nowhere hack underscored sneaky pop.
In between, there was an incredibly productive stretch -- when he led the team in on-base percentage, was tied for the lead in batting average and ranked second in OPS over a five-week period.
“Going into last year, I didn't really know what to expect,” said Young, who was selected with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. “Once I got called up, I didn't know how hard the game actually is. So it's nice to come into this spring having failed a lot last year and just work on those failures this offseason and come back this year just being aware of what I need to do.”
That midsummer boon might have illustrated his ceiling. But if Young can raise his floor, it could have a significant effect on the rest of the lineup -- maybe as much as any Mariners hitter.