Mariners No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson provides closer look at who he is

Jan 29, 2025, 1:15 PM

Seattle Sports

Back when he was 12 years old, Seattle Mariners top prospect Colt Emerson traveled to Taiwan with USA Baseball to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation U-12 World Cup.

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It was a world away for Emerson, who grew up on a 117-acre homestead in small-town Ohio. But looking back, it was a formative experience that exemplified the growth that stems from stepping outside of one’s comfort zone.

“It’s just being thrown into uncomfortable positions,” Emerson said on this week’s Mariners Hot Stove Show on Seattle Sports. “You’re either gonna sink or you’re gonna swim, and I chose to swim thankfully. But it’s just helped me become who I am today.

“I was taught from a young age like, you want to be the most well-rounded person you can be. You’ve got this life on earth one time, so why not become the most well-rounded you can be and strive for success?”

Emerson has already experienced plenty of success for his young age.

As a left-handed-hitting shortstop/third baseman, Emerson was drafted out of high school by the Mariners with the No. 22 overall pick in 2023. His full-season debut last year was disrupted by injuries, but he still showed plenty of promise with a smooth left-handed swing that can spray the ball to all fields.

Emerson slashed .263/.393/.376 in 70 games between Low-A Modesto and High-A Everett last year, while showcasing advanced plate discipline with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He also batted .370 with nine doubles in 13 games in the Arizona Fall League.

He’s since shot up the prospect rankings, surging to No. 16 in Baseball America’s Top 100 and No. 20 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, both of which leads the Mariners farm system.

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“I’m a gap-to-gap guy who will hit it out occasionally, but (I’m) more a doubles-singles guy,” Emerson said. “Personally, if I went out there and I tried to hit like (power-hitting prospect) Lazaro Montes, it’s not going to work for me. He’s a beast. He hits home runs. Like, if I go out there and try to hit the ball like him, it’s never gonna work.

“So for me, I know who I am and I know pretty well what makes me good.”

The challenge for Emerson last year was dealing with injuries, as he missed a total of about two months due to an oblique injury and a fractured foot. But as difficult as it was to miss time, he said he grew from the adversity.

“As crazy as it is for me to say, I am glad that happened,” Emerson said. “It just gave me a perspective of baseball that’s like, this could be stripped away at any point and you just have to be grateful every single time you’re out there. … Sure, it made me upset that I wasn’t able to play baseball for two months or whatever it was.

“But just the perspective that it could be stripped away from you at any point, it’s helped me appreciate baseball even more. So I’m thankful for that.”

With the 2025 season just around the corner, Emerson said he’s excited to continue learning and growing while taking part in his first major league spring training.

“I want to come into spring training and just soak everything up, learn from the older guys and just do more listening than talking,” Emerson said. “… I’m just ready to soak it all in.”

Listen to the full conversation with Colt Emerson at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to The Hot Stove on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. leading up to the start of spring training.