Buzz behind top prospect will raise the stakes of Mariners' top position battle

Heading into the offseason, it seemed like the Mariners were going to pursue help at both corner infield positions. After finding an answer to first base in Josh Naylor, the club didn't seem particularly close on other free agents despite being linked to several players, from Kazuma Okamoto to Eugenio Suárez.

Now that the remaining options are either too expensive or too flawed for Seattle to be interested, it seems like the organization will depend on their internal options in Ben Williamson and Colt Emerson, both of whom make compelling cases for the starting job. However, it seems like recent sentiment is more bullish on one player over the other.

Colt Emerson's prospect stock has continued to tick upward, giving him the inside track for third base

After another strong minor league season, the hype behind Colt Emerson is reaching all-time highs. The Mariners' top prospect and No. 9 MLB prospect overall is already expected to get called up quickly next year and lend his outstanding skills to the big league team. He may not receive as much national attention as other upcoming rookies like Kevin McGonigle and Samuel Basallo, but he isn't far off. He's already received attention as possiblly the No. 1 prospect in MLB.

In a recent report from FanGraphs on Seattle's top 25 prospects, author Brendan Gawlowski highlighted Emerson's well-rounded toolkit is one of the most complete in the minor leagues despite being just 20 years old. Although imperfect, his adaptability has enabled him to make great strides in areas he was lacking upon entering professional baseball.

"There are plenty of good prospects — including some on this list — who divide opinion among evaluators, data darlings who appeal to analysts but not scouts, or scout favorites who leave the wonks cold. Emerson is not that kind of player. He lights up just about everything a model tends to like."

Brendan Gawlowski, FanGraphs

Williamson is still a solid option at third base, but he just doesn't come with the same upside as Emerson. Despite being a second-round pick in the same draft class, Williamson was taken out of college and given a signing bonus of $600,000, far below the projected value of the slot. He peaked at No. 16 on the Mariners' list of Top 30 prospects and has had a respectable minor league career, but his ceiling is far lower than Emerson's.

On the other hand, Williamson does have the advantage of being a true third baseman, whereas Emerson has primarily played shortstop. Furthermore, while Williamson's major league offensive production was lackluster, his defense was stellar. Over the 85 games he played, he accumulated eight Defensive Runs Saved, placing him 6th in MLB despite not being qualified at the position.

It's far from an easy decision and the Mariners are fortunate to have two solid options at a position that lacked any just two seasons ago. Spring training will likely give Seattle the data it needs to make a clearer decision for Opening Day and this year, there should be plenty of at-bats to go around. Both players have a lot to prove, but it's pretty clear who most think will be getting the majority of the third base responsibility for the Mariners next season.