Cole Young to make MLB debut, start at 2B for Mariners

May 31, 2025, 3:24 PM

Seattle Sports

Highly touted Seattle Mariners prospect Cole Young is officially set to make his major league debut in Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park.

Young, who was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, is starting at second base and batting eighth in the Mariners’ lineup.

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Known for his smooth left-handed swing and advanced bat-to-ball skills for his age, the 21-year-old Young has been touted as Seattle’s second baseman of the future. He’s ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 43 overall prospect and Baseball America’s No. 51 overall prospect.

Since being drafted by the Mariners as a 2022 first-round pick, Young has consistently produced at every level of the minor leagues, all while being one of the youngest players at each stop. He’s coming off a scorching month in Tacoma, where he hit .402 with five home runs, three triples, 10 doubles and a 1.244 OPS over his past 24 games.

“He’s been on fire down in Tacoma and has swung the bat very, very well,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said prior to Saturday’s game. “… It’s exciting to have him here and a part of the club.”

Our lineup just got Younger. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/NvoZT011OG

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 31, 2025

Heading into the season, Young was regarded as Seattle’s most MLB-ready prospect.

He was already widely expected to reach the majors at some point this year, but that possibility became an even larger topic of discussion after opening-day second baseman Ryan Bliss suffered a biceps tear in early April that’s expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.

With Bliss out, utilityman Dylan Moore, Leo Rivas and Miles Mastrobuoni have split the Mariners’ second-base duties. Rivas was optioned to Tacoma on Saturday amid a series of roster moves.

When asked how second base will be handled going forward, Wilson said Young will get an opportunity to “play a lot.”

“He’s going to get his opportunity, no doubt,” Wilson said. “And I think some of it will depend on how things go with him and whatnot, but he’s a guy that’s gonna be here and he’s gonna play a lot. He’s earned that and he’s gonna get a chance to do that. So just put him in the lineup and see how things go.”

Saturday’s game also will mark the return of right-hander Bryce Miller, who is set to start for Seattle after landing on the injured list with elbow inflammation on May 14. It will be the 26-year-old Miller’s first start since May 11. Wilson said the Mariners are targeting 70 to 75 pitches from him.

Meanwhile, backup catcher Mitch Garver will get the start behind the plate, while star catcher Cal Raleigh will serve as the designated hitter.

Raleigh hit two more home runs in Friday night’s 12-6 extra-inning loss to the Twins, which gave him an American League-leading 21 homers for the season. In doing so, Raleigh became the first catcher in MLB history and just the 28th player overall to reach 20 homers before the end of May.

The Mariners (30-26) have lost five of their past six games and seven of their past 10. That stretch included back-to-back extra-inning losses the past two nights, the latter of which dropped them out of first place atop the American League West. They now trail the Houston Astros by a half-game.

First pitch for Saturday’s game is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Radio coverage can be heard on 710 AM Seattle Sports or the Seattle Sports app, beginning with the pregame show at 3 p.m.