Colt Emerson- The Next Star in Seattle
Colt Emerson and Cole Young of the Mariners (AP Photo / Lindsey Wasson)
As I walked up from the gate to the main press box in Cheney Stadium, a baby-faced Tacoma Rainier walked by me on his way to the batting cages. I was wary of my confirmation bias, and hesitant to ID him as Colt Emerson, but I mentally logged his jersey as #6. Once I was shown to the press box, I immediately looked up the roster and found Emerson. Yep, #6 and the #1 prospect in the Mariners’ organization. In today’s MLB, your star is often your shortstop. We’ve seen big guys like Gunnar and Elly play short when they would have played third in the past. Whether it be the chicken or the egg, a high percentage of top draft picks and international prospects are listed as shortstops. Prospects get the most attention if they can handle short, and teams are incentivized to go after talented kids who have a shot at handling a premium position. Most of them eventually move to second or third, possibly even to the outfield (e.g. Oneil Cruz).
Scouting Report and Context
Emerson has a smooth swing from the left side, with a 60-grade hit tool. The Ohio native hit .285 across three levels in 2025, with an identical .846 OPS vs both lefties and righties (Baseball America). There is some debate about how much power Colt has- he seems likely to be a 20-15-20 guy, who hits his share of doubles. The arm is solid, the glove is a plus- therefore he’s a better candidate to stay at short then his peer, Cole Young. Cole is better fit for the keystone, with a weaker arm, and less range than Colt. While Young is likely to hold down second base for the foreseeable future, J.P is hitting the market this season with a low likelihood of returning. This opens up short in 2027 for the next star in Seattle, and hopefully a leadoff hitter if the contact ability translates in the show. As shown in the above BA scouting report, the Mariners are dissimilar to the Angels in their penchant for bringing up prospects early.
Colt Emerson Scouting Report (Baseball America)
A Path to the Show in 2026
There likely won’t be a critical need for Colt’s services in the infield, unless Dan Wilson opts to move Brendan Donovan from the hot corner. That’s not as true on the offensive side though- the M’s are currently hitting .205 and desperately need some contact ability. If Jerry wants to give Dan another top-of-the-order hitter, he could move Donovan to second and bench Young, or move Donovan to right field if Canzone and Raley are struggling. We’ll have to keep an eye on the Rainiers as the season progresses; at this moment the 20 year old is hitting only .265 with a .729 OPS in a favorable offensive environment.
Mariners Depth Chart (Fangraphs)
The Ceiling
If Colt’s power plays up to a 50 or even 55 with his contact at 60/65, he'll be a 120-130 wRC+ guy. Think Trea Turner without the stolen base ability, or perhaps a lighter-hitting version of Corey Seager. Even without the pop, he could be a Yunel Escobar/Erick Aybar type with + contact and glove. I’m confident in his ability to stay at short which gives a floor of a 2-3 bWAR guy as long as he hits. Clearly, the Mariners are confident too, as evidenced by a $95M extension signed a couple weeks ago- despite the fact that Emerson has yet to experience his first Major League AB. He is one of a group of young shortstops signed to massive pre-arb extensions, with studs Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle also receiving long-term deals from their clubs. The Mariners were nine outs away from the World Series, and fans can only wonder how things would have gone if the lineup had hit higher than .215 in October or even if there was one more baserunner on for a key HR. Seattle has a roster chiseled and masterminded with almost no margin, and for the first time in 25 years they have a shot at a chip. If Colt can help the club, he needs to be brought up to complement Dumper and Julio.
