SEATTLE -- The Colt Emerson era is underway in Seattle.
In an incredibly tight turnaround and rapid development on Sunday afternoon, the Mariners recalled their No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall before their 8-3 loss to the Padres on Sunday Night Baseball.
Emerson went 0-for-2 with two flyouts to right field and a run scored, after he was the first of four straight walks to begin the sixth inning. Seattle didn’t have much else going in a game that capped a season sweep to its Vedder Cup rivals, finishing with just one hit.
But it was nonetheless a big day for Emerson and the organization.
“Honestly, the nerves,” Emerson said. “I thought I was going to go out there and maybe not even be able to swing the bat. But once I got that first one out of the way, the first fly ball -- honestly, that was a tough fly ball -- once I got that out of the way, I was like, 'OK, like, this is baseball. There's just an extra [stadium] deck. That's really it.”
The development came after third baseman Brendan Donovan underwent imaging that showed increased inflammation in his left groin muscle earlier in the morning; he reaggravated a previous injury on Thursday in Houston, when he came a homer shy of the cycle.
The club swapped them on its 26-man roster, with Emerson earning his Major League callup and Donovan being placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 16).
Emerson, who was scratched from Triple-A Tacoma’s lineup moments before its 1:25 p.m. PT matinee vs. Sugar Land, made a 35-mile race north up Interstate-5 and was added to Seattle’s starting lineup -- batting ninth, playing third base and wearing No. 4.
He was in full uniform at Tacoma when called into manager John Russell’s office to be informed of the news. And because of the metaphorical U-turn, he didn’t actually call his family until he was on the road. They were unable to make the journey from Ohio, but they will be here for Monday’s game vs. the White Sox.
“That's going to be an emotional one,” Emerson said. “I know I talk about trying not to let the emotions [get me], but that's going to be an emotional one, because I mean, they've all ridden with me since Day 1.”
At 20 years and 301 days old, he became the franchise’s youngest player to make his debut since Félix Hernández on Aug. 4, 2005, when he was just 19 years and 118 days old.
“He certainly has the tools and skills to go compete at this level,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said. “You never really know with a young player until they get out there and show us what they can do, but we do have all the confidence in the world that he can go take the job and run with it.”
And just like that, Emerson becomes the Mariners’ primary third baseman for the foreseeable future. Donovan’s situation aside, the club had been explicit that would be the case all season, whenever Emerson did make the Major League leap.
“This period will give him some runway,” Hollander said. “This is not a 15-at-bat or a 20-at-bat tryout to see if he's capable of taking the job and running it with it for the rest of the year. I have zero concerns that he's emotionally ready to handle it, that he's mature enough to handle the day-to-day of the Major League life.”
Longer term, the 20-year-old expected to be the club’s heir apparent to at shortstop to J.P. Crawford, whose contract expires after this season. Emerson will also spell Crawford at short on days that the club wants to get the veteran off his feet.
Seattle signed Emerson to an eight-year, $95 million contract extension with a ninth-year club option on March 31 that is the richest for a player with zero Major League service time -- signaling that he’s as significant a part of the club’s future as any player in the organization.
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Shortly after that deal was announced, Emerson dealt with a left wrist issue that necessitated a cortisone shot. Some of that pain might’ve contributed to a few hiccups at the plate, but he hit .319 with a .917 OPS since May 5.
For the season, all at Tacoma, Emerson has slashed .255/.347/.469 (.816 OPS) with seven homers, one triple, eight doubles, 17 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, with a 27.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. He’s been worth 106 wRC+ (league average is 100).
“The speed is way up, sort of back to and above his norms,” Hollander said. “He's hitting the ball hard, he looks loose, he looks comfortable, he looks confident up there. He’s starting to put together quality at-bat after quality at-bat. There's no reason that can't translate over to what happens on this field out here.”