He made the comments on the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast.
When it comes to Seattle Mariners infielder Cole Young, the messaging has been mixed this offseason.
On one hand, the Mariners have been looking to add second basemen. They've been connected to Jorge Polanco, Brendan Donovan and Ketel Marte, and they were even somewhat connected to Brandon Lowe before he was traded from the Tampa Bay Rays.
On the other, the M's reportedly like Young enough that they don't want to block him via any other moves they make. While it's been somewhat assumed that they'd trade Young this offseason, it seems like the M's want to hang onto him no matter what.
We caught up with ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose' podcast to talk about that mixed messaging and much more.
When you look at his particular skill set, I think there's every reason to believe in him. The first thing I look at, I don't know about you, but when I look at a prospect and you read about a prospect...the first thing you look at, to me, is on-base percentage, and walks and strikeouts. And how does that look? Because that is a skill that typically translates up the line.
And you might have a guy who's a, you know, really good hitter, high on-base guy in the minor leagues and he might struggle. And Cole Young, he had a what? .303 slugging percentage last year? He wasn't like he was dominant in his time with the Mariners. But here's the thing: that type of player, with a command of the strike zone, they tend to grow more. And as I say, if they give him the opportunity, he's only 22 years old. You know, this is not someone who's 26. He was a first-round pick in 2022. He's still learning and he has done well in the minor leagues. This is someone who's a perfect fit for that lineup because that's what it seems like when you look at it. When you have a Cal Raleigh in the middle of the order, when you have a Julio Rodriguez, when you have a Josh Naylor, who's such a great 5-6 hitter because he consistently puts the ball in play and drives in runs. If they can develop that on-base skill and Cole Young matures into an everyday player, that is potentially a weapon. So you can understand why they want to play that out.
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About Young's 2025
Young made his debut in May and instantly delivered a walk-off fielders choice in his debut. And he certainly had moments, but he really struggled down the stretch, getting benched most of September. He wasn't even on the playoff roster.
He hit .211 with four home runs, 24 RBIs and a 78 OPS+. If the M's are to acquire Donovan, the thought is that they'll use him around the diamond, allowing themselves to keep Young in a substantial role.
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