While Mariners’ 3B defense starts iffy, prospect wows in Triple-A

The Seattle Mariners are off to a 2-2 start to the 2025 season, and true to their early .500 standing, there is some good and some bad to point to from their season-opening series against the Athletics.

Eight stats that stand out from Seattle Mariners’ opening series

Among the more prevalent topics in the “bad” column is the team’s infield defense, specifically at third base. And the reason is pretty easy to understand.

Jorge Polanco was the Mariners’ best hitter in their first series of the year, going 5 for 10 with a home run that delivered Seattle a 4-2 win on opening day. But he’s playing third base this year, and he’s looked both like someone who had offseason knee surgery and hasn’t played the position much in his career. Because, you know, he is.

And at the same time Polanco was struggling to get to slow rollers or make decent throws to first base, his potential successor at third looked every bit the hot corner defensive wizard he’s been billed as.

Once again, behold Ben Williamson.

There’s more where that came from, as Williamson also made a nice charging play and throw to first during the opening series for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, which was his first action at the level. That last play in particular stands out when you compare it to a few plays that Polanco was unable to make in M’s losses Friday and Saturday.

There was the RBI single that the Athletics’ JJ Bleday dropped behind the mound and Polanco couldn’t glove.

Or the time when Polanco charged a grounder by slugger Brent Rooker and couldn’t get the throw to first on time.

And finally, Tyler Soderstrom’s one hopper that got Polanco turned around, leading to an ugly two-hop throw that first baseman Dylan Moore couldn’t handle.

To be clear, the Mariners obviously need Polanco’s bat in the lineup. He was hot in spring training and kept it up against the A’s. Plus, he’s being asked to play a different position than he’s used to, and there’s no reason to rule out Polanco improving at third as he gets more reps (just look at Josh Rojas last season for the M’s, but also don’t expect that much improvement).

But the presence of Williamson just down I-5 from T-Mobile Park is going to lead to some conversation this year – at least until Williamson gets his shot with the M’s.

Call it “Williamson Watch,” and Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk is definitely on it.

See him soon?

“By the way, if you were on Ben Williamson Watch, as I am because I would like to see him up sooner rather than later, he’s gotta hit in Triple-A to get it done,” Salk said during Monday’s edition of Brock and Salk.

Williamson, a VCU product who MLB.com has ranked as the No. 13 prospect in a well-stocked Mariners farm system, isn’t known for his bat but has hit for average in the minors. He hit .315 in 29 games with the High-A Everett AquaSox last year, then .272 in 95 games with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, who play in a notoriously tough offensive ballpark. The 6-foot, 200-pound Williamson doesn’t have much power, though, with just four home runs in his 139 career pro games.

As for Williamson’s start in Tacoma, the 24-year-old former second-round MLB Draft pick is 3 for 11 with three strikeouts and a stolen base.

“And two Gold Glove plays,” co-host Brock Huard added.

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

Salk called Williamson’s diving play from Sunday “ridiculous” and talked about what could happen with Polanco should Williamson get the call up from Tacoma.

“(Williamson) is just a natural defender over there. So again, if you’re watching and waiting to see whether or not he can hit at all, 3 for 11 so far with three strikeouts and a stolen base,” Salk said. “We’ll see what that looks like over the course of the first few weeks, and if it continues at that pace, he’s probably gonna be up here sooner rather than later, and you can move Polanco to second base or first, where I think he probably belongs at this stage in his career.”

To hear the full Brock and Salk conversation from Monday, which includes more takeaways from the Mariners’ first series of the 2025 season, listen to the middle segment in the podcast at this link or in the player below. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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