‘You’ve gotta get moving’: See Mariners’ Colt Emerson get his MLB call-up

Seattle Mariners top prospect Colt Emerson was preparing to play in Triple-A Tacoma’s series finale on Sunday afternoon when he got called into Rainiers manager John Russell’s office at Cheney Stadium.

What Mariners GM said about Colt Emerson’s callup

“Where do you want me to sit at?” Emerson asked.

“You don’t need to sit, because you’ve gotta get moving,” Russell said in a video posted to the Mariners’ social media accounts. “You’re going to Seattle.”

“No way,” Emerson said. “Are you serious?”

“You just need to pack your stuff up and just drive there,” Russell said.

“Just go straight to the field?” Emerson asked, still seemingly in a bit of shock.

“Yep, just straight to the field,” Russell said.

“You’ve got a game,” Tacoma hitting coach Eric Farris chimed in.

Indeed, Emerson had just about 2 1/2 hours before he would ultimately make his MLB debut in the Mariners’ Sunday night game against the San Diego Padres.

So, after exchanging handshakes and thank yous with Tacoma’s coaching staff, Emerson packed his bags, hit the road and began making the 35-mile trip up Interstate 5 to T-Mobile Park.

Hop on I-5, you’ve got a ballgame to get to.

The moment Colt got the call 👏 pic.twitter.com/tkv4IyKpGG

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 17, 2026

Along the way, he called his parents to deliver the news.

“They were freaking out,” Emerson said. “It was very surreal. You dream about stuff like that. You dream about telling your parents that you made it to the bigs, and it finally came.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” he added. “It’s a special day for me. I’ll remember this forever, and very grateful for this day.”

Emerson started at third base and batted ninth for the Mariners on Sunday night. He lined out to right field in his first at-bat and finished 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored in Seattle’s 8-3 loss.

“This is the first of many days, so I’m just happy to be here, happy to be a part of this team,” Emerson said. “Coming into the clubhouse, the guys were great to me. This is a really special group here, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

With such short notice, Emerson’s parents and girlfriend weren’t able to make it to Seattle for his debut Sunday night. But Emerson said they’ll be on hand for Monday night’s series opener against the Chicago White Sox.

“I know I talk about trying not to let the emotions get to me, but that’s gonna be an emotional one,” Emerson said. “They’ve all ridden with me since day one. … Through the positive, negatives, they supported me 100% through.”

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