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Entering this season, if asked who the Mariners' most reliable player was going to be, Cal Raleigh or Bryan Woo would have likely been the pick among the majority of fans. As it turns out however, that player has proven to be Cole Young, despite being in just his second year of Major League action. As a result, the M's now find themselves in a position where it would probably be best to get him locked down long-term sooner rather than later.
It truly has been a tremendous season by Young, who is the only ever-present on the Mariners by playing in all 101 games to date. He's making the most of it too, leading the team with a 3.4 bWAR, which is also third among all second basemen. His .254 batting average, .720 OPS and 108 wRC+ might not jump out from the page as such, but he has developed a reputation as a tough out and arguably should have been an All-Star.
Perhaps most impressive of all is when the stakes are raised, Young becomes calmer, almost like he has ice in his veins. While the Mariners have struggled collectively all year with RISP, he stands out with a .296 batting average, while being second only to Randy Arozarena, with a .943 OPS and 165 wRC+.
Cole Young once again proves he has the clutch gene
This past weekend Young proved to be clutch once again, and in the most desperate of situations. The Mariners found themselves down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh and having accrued just one hit (by Young), when he stepped up to the plate with two men on base, but also two outs. Then with one swing of the bat, he changed the momentum of the game:
The Mariners went on to clinch the game 4-3 in extra innings, to avoid falling three games under .500. It was a game they had no right to win, but thanks to Young they managed to steal it. Not that coming through when it matters most is anything new for him, with a stellar .400 batting average and 1.369 OPS with RISP and two outs.
The Mariners believed enough in Young to select him 21st overall in the 2022 draft, but even they must be pleasantly surprised by how quickly he has developed. Irrespective, thoughts instinctively turn to how much we're talking about if they want to extend him. Because based on his current productivity and projections, his value is only going to trend upwards.
For context, prior to this year only Andrés Giménez had gotten a nine-figure deal as a second baseman with less than three years of service time. Now though there's also JJ Wetherholt, who is part of a wave of middle infielders who've inked big deals. This includes Kevin McGonigle, Konnor Griffin and, of course, Young's teammate Colt Emerson.
Cole Young has the Mariners right where he wants them
In theory, if the Mariners approach Young about an extension, he has the right to ask for nine figures. However, it wouldn't surprise us if the Mariners were reluctant to agree to this. After all, let's not forget Raleigh 'only' got $105 million when he signed his extension, and he was fresh off a 2024 campaign when he cemented himself as the best catcher in baseball.
Still, it doesn't mean a nine-figure deal is outside the realms of possibility for Young, factoring in if he signs for longer than the six years which Raleigh agreed. Also, even though the outline of Emerson's deal was for eight years and $95 million, it has the potential to eventually exceed $130 million.
Where Young does have a theoretical advantage is that, as long as he continues to produce and improve, he puts the Mariners at an increasing disadvantage in negotiations. He's already leaps and bounds better than he was last year, and he isn't even 23 yet. If the M's are smart then they will get a deal done as soon as possible, even if it does mean having to agree to nine figures.
This article was originally published on sodomojo.com as Cole Young is rapidly driving up the price of a potential Mariners extension.
