Mariners 3B prospect unleashes his elite fielding with spring web gem

The Seattle Mariners’ farm system is considered the best in baseball right now, and the fact that they have seven players – all position players – in the top 100 prospect rankings for both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline garners the majority of attention.

But beyond the top 100 rankings, the Mariners still have players creating buzz in the minors. For example, third baseman Ben Williamson.

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A 2023 second-round MLB Draft pick by the Mariners out of the College of William and Mary, Williamson’s name has been coming up more and more as a player with a potential future in Seattle. Unlike the seven most highly-ranked Mariners prospects, however, it’s not Williamson’s bat that has people most excited.

Instead, it’s his glove and overall defensive ability, which were on full display Thursday in a Cactus League game.

Behold, Ben Williamson.

We’d be willing to bet that Ben Williamson is pretty good at darts 😳 pic.twitter.com/7CURyWduA6

— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) February 27, 2025

Pretty nice play, and pretty much par for the course with him.

Glove? Check.

Range? Check.

Arm? Check.

Not much more you can ask for from a third baseman.

That play came against the Giants in the home half of the Mariners’ split-squad day, and it impressed even our own Mariners insider here at Seattle Sports, Shannon Drayer.

Good grief, Ben Williamson! Running in behind the mound gets the throw off and out at 1B. Wow!

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 27, 2025

Who is Ben Williamson?

If you’re unfamiliar with the 24-year-old Williamson, here are a few things we’ve heard about his defense:

• “Recently he graded out in one of the industry sources … as arguably the best defensive infielder in Minor League Baseball,” Mariners assistant general manager Andy McKay told The Hot Stove earlier this month. “And whether he is or isn’t, he’s definitely in that conversation.”

• “(He’s) an awesome defender who advanced through Double-A last year, will likely start at Triple-A this year,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told Bump and Stacy (also earlier this month). “You’ll see a lot of Ben at third in spring.”

• “A plus defender at the hot corner who will prevent runs for whatever pitching staff he plays behind,” reads Williamson’s profile on MLB Pipeline, “and he can even move to shortstop when needed. His success is rooted in his body being in sync, having the instincts to read tough hops to go along with above-average arm strength.”

As you may recall, we mentioned Williamson as a name to keep in mind a few weeks back in regards to the Mariners’ third base spot this year. Seattle is entering the season with Jorge Polanco penciled in at the position, and while the veteran switch-hitter has played a bit of third in the past, he’s more of a natural second baseman – and not really regarded for his glove or his arm. Should the M’s find themselves in need of better ‘D’ at the hot corner, don’t be surprised to see Williamson in a Mariners uniform quickly this season.

And by the way, while Williamson isn’t known for his bat (and especially not for power), he has had success at the plate in his young pro career. He hit .315 with a .408 on-base percentage and .867 OPS in 29 games last year with High-A Everett, then had a .273 average, .365 OBP and .739 OPS in 95 games with Double-A Arkansas. He’s even 3 for 7 in Cactus League play this spring with a triple (second highlight in the video below) for the M’s.

feeling a little extra (bases) today pic.twitter.com/2zIB6UKXdr

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 23, 2025

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