Young is slashing .271/.369/.390 with nine home runs, 23 steals and a 15.8 percent strikeout rate in 124 games for Double-A Arkansas.
Young, the fourth-youngest qualified hitter at Double-A, could be passable at shortstop or quite good at second base for the Mariners in a couple years. He has a very advanced knowledge of the strike zone and logged an impressive 81.4 percent contact rate, but he doesn't hit the ball hard very often (22.0 percent hard-hit rate) and projects to offer modest power, especially if he calls T-Mobile Park home. If everything works out, the lefty-hitting Young could produce similarly to guys like Brice Turang and Bryson Stott.
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Mariners' Cole Young: Thriving early in spring
Rotowire
Young went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the Mariners' Cactus League loss to the White Sox on Thursday.
The precocious 20-year-old extended his spring hitting streak to three games with his fifth-inning solo shot. The fact Young is enjoying early success against big-league arms this spring isn't necessarily surprising, considering he's done nothing but hit over his first four minor-league stops in his first two professional seasons. Young has slashed .286/.402/.858 across stints ranging from Rookie ball to High-A, complementing those eye-catching figures with equally impressive 14.2 percent and 14.5 percent walk and strikeout rates, respectively. Young likely doesn't have much left to prove at High-A Everett after a productive 48-game stint there last season, so he's almost certainly ticketed to start the campaign at Double-A Arkansas.
Mariners' Cole Young: Not slowed by High-A pitching
Rotowire
Young is hitting .285/.409/.520 with five home runs, four steals and more walks (25) than strikeouts (24) in 31 games for High-A Everett.
While Young may be benefitting from the favorable home park at Everett, his elite strike zone awareness as a recently-turned 20-year-old at High-A portends success even as he reaches a more pitcher-friendly environment at Double-A Arkansas in 2024. The Mariners have an impressive wave of talented position players in the lower levels, several of whom also play shortstop, but Young should be able to handle any infield position and has the bat to profile at third base or second base if necessary.
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Mariners' Cole Young: On track at Single-A
Rotowire
Young is slashing .267/.396/.429 with five home runs, 17 steals and more walks (54) than strikeouts (52) through 78 games for Single-A Modesto.
Young, who turns 20 at the end of July, has made 69 starts at shortstop and eight starts at the keystone in his first full season in pro ball. He also saw brief action at second base last year in addition to his shortstop duties. Young's hit tool has been as advertised. He is using the whole field (36.3 Oppo%) and has limited the groundballs (42.1 percent) while also being a bit unlucky (.303 BABIP) on balls in play.
