SEATTLE -- Welcome to The Show, Colt Emerson.
The Mariners’ prized new infielder got on the board with his first career hit on Monday night -- and with his first career homer.
Emerson dug out a changeup at the bottom of the strike zone in a 2-2 count during the eighth inning and golfed it out to right field, just barely over the fence for a three-run blast that sent Seattle toward a much-needed, 6-1 win over the White Sox.
This wasn’t his debut, but it might have been an even more meaningful game, given that his family was in attendance after missing Sunday’s game due to the frenzied fashion in which it came about. The 20-year-old, ranked Seattle's No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was informed that he was being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma a little over three hours before first pitch to the Mariners’ game against the Padres on Sunday Night Baseball.
Already in his full Rainiers uniform, Emerson quickly packed his bags and made the 35-mile trek up Interstate 5 to arrive on time. As such, he didn’t even call his parents until he was on the road. And he insists that he obeyed all traffic laws despite the tight turnaround and adrenaline rush.
“I don't speed,” Emerson said. “I never speed.”
Emerson went 0-for-2 with a walk in his debut and was 0-for-3 on Monday before his big blast -- which was his eighth of the season, when accounting for his seven at Tacoma.
“That's something that I think I've said from Day 1, I try not to let the emotions play the role in my life,” Emerson said. “But at the end of the day, there's a game to play, and this team is a winning team. And they brought me up to help the team win. It's not about me. It's about the team.”