For 21-year-old shortstop Cole Young, the 2025 season is shaping up to be one to remember.
Following a 2024 season in which he stole 23 bases while slashing .271/.369/.390 with nine home runs in 124 games for Double-A Arkansas, Young’s big league debut could be coming soon.
Earlier this offseason, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto hinted that the 2022 first-rounder is knocking on the door.
He told the Seattle Times that Young is “about as polished a prospect as you can get,” and said that he wouldn’t be surprised if Young “wowed” the team in spring training.
While the Mariners are reportedly seeking outside help at second base in 2025, Young has opened eyes with his quick rise through the minor leagues.
After getting off to a slow start last season, Young hit .329 in his final 45 games in the Texas League. He had hit .252 up to the point.
Arkansas hitting coach/interim manager Mike Fransoso, who is now a coach in the Yankees organization, was particularly impressed with how Young found himself again after seemingly chasing more power early in the season.
Much like Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, the Travelers’ home park in North Little Rock can be a tough place for hitters.
“I think there was a lot of power stuff that he was trying to chase, and he doesn’t need to chase that,” Fransoso said. “So he got back to who he is as a hitter, and that’s just a pure hitter, using the whole field.”
While Young has had plenty of success in his quick ascent through the organization, watching how he dealt with failure early last season helped convince Fransoso that there are big things ahead for him.
“He’s going to run into some challenges when he gets there, obviously, but he is very good at keeping a level head and just going about his business, showing up day after day,” Fransoso said.
“. . . So I’m excited for when he gets the opportunity. It’ll be exciting to watch. And I think he’s going to do really well.”
MARINADE
— The Mariners announced in mid December that they had sold the Low-A Modesto Nuts to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a private equity firm that also owns 40 other minor league teams.
As part of the sale, the Nuts will move to San Bernardino, Calif., in 2026 and play as the Inland Empire 66ers. The sale comes after the Mariners were unable to come to an agreement with the city of Modesto, Calif., on financing to improve John Thurman Field.
The Mariners previously had an affiliate in San Bernardino from 1987 to 1994, and again from 2001 to 2006.
Inland Empire is currently the Angels’ Low-A California League affiliate. The Angels affiliate will move to Rancho Cucamonga, which is currently the Dodgers’ affiliate. The Dodgers affiliate will move to a new facility in Ontario, Calif.
— The Mariners signed three players to minor league contracts in mid November: righthanders Casey Lawrence, Adonis Medina and Jesse Hahn.
Lawrence pitched for the Mariners in 2017 and 2018. He made 29 starts last season for Triple-A Tacoma, where he had a 5.95 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 165 innings.
Medina last pitched in the big leagues for the Mets in 2022 and spent last season at Triple-A Rochester in the Washington Nationals organization. Hahn had a 3.12 ERA over 8 ⅔ innings last season in Tacoma after being released by the Dodgers.
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