3 words from Jerry Dipoto spell out why Colt Emerson is perfect for 2026 Mariners

If there's one sport which mentally drains you the most it's baseball, just by virtue of the 162 regular season games Major League Baseball teams play each year. Throw in spring training and potential playoff fixtures and you have scenarios such as the Mariners faced last year​, when they played 206 total games to set a franchise record for the most ever in a single season.

Thankfully for Mariners fans, their team has one of the hardest working group of players in all of baseball, led by clubhouse leader Cal Raleigh. ESPN's Buster Olney provided a fascinating insight into just how much meticulous work the 2025 AL MVP runner-up puts into his daily schedule, with one of his mantras being that just average doesn't cut it.

The recently acquired Brendan Donovan is another player who works extremely hard, instilled within him from an early age by having a father who was a colonel in the U.S. Army. We would also add Julio Rodríguez to that list, with his positive and charismatic personality betraying the deep desire lurking beneath the surface, with him focused on continually working to improve all aspects of his game.

This collective mindset has contributed towards the Mariners' consistency in recent years as one of just four teams to win at least 85 games every season since 2021. And now the M's are getting ready to welcome someone else to "The Show" who similarly has that dog in them, and is a player who fans will be particularly excited about.

Colt Emerson has that dog in him

The player in question is top-rated prospect Colt Emerson, who is predicted to make his Major League debut sooner that later this coming season. And as per The Athletic's Jim Bowden, M's President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto had plenty of positive things to say about the 20-year-old:

"Colt Emerson contributes in all facets. Excellent barrel feel, plus hit (tool), emerging power and outstanding zone awareness. Average runner with plus instincts on bases. Fundamentally sound in all aspects of the game. Phenomenal teammate with real leadership skills, 80 work ethic."

Jerry Dipoto

Amongst all the praise, those last three words really jump out: "80 work ethic." For all the talk about Emerson's natural hitting prowess, he's really worked hard on improving his bat power and becoming a plus defender since being selected 22nd overall by the M's in the 2023 draft.

You can have all the talent in the world, but it doesn't mean squat if you don't also put the work in. A big part of the reason the likes of Dustin Ackley and Jeff Clement failed with the Mariners was due to a lack of dedication and discipline, despite being selected No. 2 and No. 3 overall in their respective drafts due to their considerable potential.

Mariners know they have to outwork the big-name teams

More generally speaking, you can make the case that LeBron James and John Elway are two of the most naturally gifted athletes to ever play in the NBA and NFL respectively. And yet it's Michael Jordan and Tom Brady who are considered the greatest of all time in each sport, because despite being not quite as naturally gifted as James and Elway, they both put in the time and effort to almost insanely obsessive levels.

One of the most underrated ways to be successful in whatever field you pursue, is to just work harder than anyone else — be disciplined, turn up every day and just give it your best. And this is the hallmark of the likes of Raleigh, Donovan, Rodríguez and Emerson, no matter how talented each of them might also be in their own right.

For as good as Seattle's reputation is as a city on both the national and international stage, the reality is that the Mariners are a mid-market team which can't outspend the big-budget clubs in the majors. As such, among their best ways to succeed is to out-think and outwork the likes of the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Phillies, with Emerson representing just the latest example of this approach.