Mariners predicted to cut ties with long-time fan favorite in favor of Colt Emerson

The Seattle Mariners knew something had to change to give this team a spark, and they did just that by calling up youngster Colt Emerson. 

Emerson, who typically plays on the left side of the infield, is expected to be one of the better young players in baseball if everything goes as smoothly as possible. 

At only 20 years old, there are definitely expected to be some struggles for the Ohio native, though there's also a lot to like about his game.

Seattle has been one of the better teams in baseball over the past few seasons, and while they're just one game behind the first-place Athletics in the American League West, the campaign has been far from ideal at 23-26.

Some of that is due to players on the roster not playing at the level that everybody expects of them, and that includes infielder J.P. Crawford. 

The longtime Mariners shortstop statistically hasn't been bad at all, posting a 112 OPS+ with six home runs and more walks than strikeouts, but there still seems to be a feeling that they could move on from him, with many predicting that to be the case.

“J.P. Crawford has done a lot more offensively than Young this season, slashing .216/.363/.374 with six home runs and 16 RBI thus far. He's been drawing a ton of walks while also displaying more power upside. The reason why he's on this list, though, comes down to his defense.

“Crawford has been worth -6 Outs Above Average this season, good for 31st among 32 qualified shortstops. Since the start of the 2025 season, Crawford's -13 OAA is tied for last among 46 qualified shortstops. He has been one of, if not the, worst defender at the position for more than a year now, and I'm not sure that makes up for him being a tick above-average at the plate,” Zachary Rotman wrote.

Crawford is a below-average defender, but he can also really swing it for the shortstop position, and he's proven that over the past few seasons. 

His 2023 campaign was the best of his career, as he led the American League in walks and posted a 133 OPS+. To give up on that for a couple of young players who we don't know are ready to play at this level would be a tough decision for a Mariners team that wants to win a World Series.

More MLB news:

• Red Sox must sit young outfielder if injury comes back up
• Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman moves up all-time list, now ranking 10th in key stat
• Mets’ Bo Bichette’s comments on playing shortstop show why Blue Jays moved on from him
• Mets’ Bo Bichette pretty much admits he wasn’t ready to play in New York
• Cubs should make obvious trade with division rival in deal that would benefit both teams
• Sean Manaea not expected to take on new role, despite many fans hoping it happens