Former Seattle Mariners infielder Ben Williamson is already seeing the future up close in Tampa Bay, and he says Colt Emerson has something rare.
Williamson, who came up with Emerson after both were selected in the 2023 Draft, talked about the young shortstop on the most recent “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast. The Mariners are set to face the Rays this weekend, which will be the first time they’ve seen Williamson since he was traded to Tampa Bay this winter in the deal that eventually brought Brendan Donovan.
Williamson said he’s eager to reconnect with a few familiar faces when Seattle gets to Tampa, especially Emerson and Cole Young.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, Colt Emerson, like, I (was) drafted with him (in 2023), like, lived with him a couple years at spring training. I'm really excited to see him.
Cole Young, too, like, I got close with last year, just being the two young guys on the team. So, I mean, both those guys, definitely trying to grab coffee with them or something.”
When asked about Emerson’s first stretch in the majors, Williamson didn’t hesitate to praise the 20-year-old’s makeup as much as his talent.
“Yeah, I mean, Colt's just a unicorn. That's the best way I can explain it. The level of maturity he has and basically, like, the way he wants to grow, stacking day by day, he's just a very process-oriented, I guess, just young guy, and that's just very hard to come by, I feel like.
I feel like a lot of young guys take a while to get into that process-oriented mindset, and Colt just has it.”
Emerson entered the big leagues as one of baseball’s top prospects and has already flashed the upside that made him such a big name. Through his first month and a half in Seattle, the 20-year-old is hitting .207 with seven homers and 19 RBIs while handling shortstop well.
Williamson, meanwhile, has put together a .235 average with two homers and 21 RBIs for the Rays.
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