3 Mariners prospects get their first Triple-A hits in same inning

A trio of highly regarded Seattle Mariners prospects each picked up their first career hit at the Triple-A level on Friday night.

And the milestones all occurred in the same inning.

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In the fifth inning of the Tacoma Rainiers’ 6-1 season-opening win over the Round Rock Express, Cole Young lined a one-out single up the middle. Harry Ford followed by driving an opposite-field single to right field. And two batters later, Ben Williamson lined a two-out RBI single up the middle to bring home Young.

Ford finished 1 for 3 with a walk, while Young and Williamson both went 1 for 4.

Young, a 21-year-old second baseman, is widely considered to be the closest Mariners position-player prospect to reaching the big leagues. At Double-A Arkansas last season, the 2022 first-round draft pick hit .271 with nine homers, two triples, 25 doubles and 23 stolen bases in 124 games. This spring, he went 4 for 21 with a double in Cactus League play. He is Seattle’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 49 overall prospect in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.

Ford, an athletic 22-year-old catcher, batted .249 with seven homers, two triples, 26 doubles and 35 steals in 116 games at Double-A Arkansas last season. The 2021 first-round pick then went 8 for 19 with a homer and a double in Cactus League play this spring. He is Seattle’s No. 4 prospect and the No. 64 overall prospect in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.

Williamson, a 24-year-old third baseman known for his elite fielding, began last season in High-A Everett before earning a mid-May promotion to Double-A Arkansas. Across the two levels, the 2023 second-round pick hit .283 with four homers, three triples, 34 doubles and 19 steals in 124 games. This spring, he went 6 for 16 with a triple in Cactus League play. He is Seattle’s No. 13 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

Mariners standout catcher Cal Raleigh, who signed a contract extension with the club earlier this week, included some praise of Seattle’s farm system during a news conference about his new deal on Friday.

“Looking ahead to the future, a lot of good young prospects,” Raleigh said. “I know you can’t always count on that, but a lot of guys with good makeup, and guys that I do like what I saw from spring training. And I do believe we’ve got a lot of good things going here.”

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