Even Yankees fans have to admit to silver lining in Mariners lineup

The New York Yankees left Seattle on Wednesday with a series victory, and we wish we could say they didn't earn it. But hey, at least Cole Young made an impression on those watching from across the country.

It was a dazzling defensive series for the 22-year-old, and he was 5-for-10 offensively when he strode to the plate as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth in the finale. A 10-pitch at-bat drove Yankees closer David Bednar (40 pitches) to his breaking point, and all of Yankee fandom must have cringed when a fly ball to right came off Young's bat.

Unfortunately for the Mariners, that ball landed in Aaron Judge's glove. Fortunately for the Mariners, though, it's a good sign when even a fanbase that is famously unimpressed with Cal Raleigh sends signals that the kid at second base is a real one.

Cole Young deserves all the recognition he's suddenly getting right now

"Cole Young has been one of the Mariners' best players in 2026" is a statement that should come with, like, a million asterisks given how early it is. Yet it is also undeniably true.

After a slow start to spring training, Young suddenly started crushing the ball and ended up with a 1.016 OPS and six home runs to show for 19 Cactus League games. All the while, his improved play at the keystone was there for all to see.

Not much has changed through seven games in the regular season. Young has eight hits in 25 at-bats for a .320 average, with a hard-hit percentage up to 41.2 from 31.1 percent last year. And seemingly every good defensive play he's made has been to his right, a facet with which he really struggled as a rookie in 2025.

There are some blemishes, of course. Young has eight strikeouts against one walk in 26 plate appearance, and his average exit velocity is also down 1.2 mph from his generally difficult (i.e., 78 OPS+) rookie year.

Even so, it's fair to come down on the side of his blossoming being the real deal. He was a top-100 prospect this time last year, and he used the winter to his advantage. Following a stern message from Julio Rodríguez about needing to be better, he showed up to camp in great shape.

For at least a year now, the hope has been that Young is the guy to stabilize a second base spot that has given the Mariners plenty of headaches in recent years. And if both Mariners fans and Yankees fans are sold, that's a good start.