Cole Young saving Mariners from 7-for-78 problem

The Seattle Mariners' three best hitters have had a ghastly start to the season.

But that hasn't totally doomed the Mariners yet, because Cole Young has stepped up.

Young is 8-for-25 to start the season, an .820 batting average. He has a home run, has scored four runs and has driven in four runs.

After a blistering Spring Training, it's a great sign for Young, a promising prospect who is still just 22 years old.

The Mariners drafted Young in the first round (21st overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft out of North Allegheny High School in Pennsylvania. He moved through the system pretty quickly, and while not quite as hyped as Colt Emerson, Young has plenty of potential, too.

Good thing it's being realized right now, because the Mariners' stars are scuffling.

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Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor began the season 7-for-78 combined.

That's an .090 batting average, for those wondering.

"Seattle’s thumpers -- Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor -- are a combined 7-for-78 (.090), the type of production that probably would’ve led to a brutal Opening Week in the win column," MLB.com's Daniel Kramer wrote in a new article. "Yet, the Mariners were able to withstand those struggles and manage a 3-4 record thanks to the Nos. 6-9 hitters. Entering Wednesday, that group combined for an MLB-best .897 OPS in that stretch. And there are signs that this could be legitimate, especially the showing from the 22-year-old Young, who’s continued from a stellar Spring Training."

As Kramer writes, it's not just Young getting the job done in the lower half of the order. The likes of Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone have gotten off to solid starts, too.

But it's Young who could have the most staying power. If he keeps this up, he can solidify himself as a long-term piece of Seattle's infield.

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