The Mariners didn’t just get a win Monday night. They got two encouraging signs from the same place, and both came in a 6-2 victory over the Angels.
Cole Young was the headliner. He turned in the first multi-homer game of his career, giving Seattle exactly the kind of jolt it has been searching for while the offense has sputtered.
His first homer came against Angels starter Ryan Johnson. The second came later off left-hander Mitch Farris, and that one carried extra thunder, bouncing off the “Hit It Here Cafe.”
Cole Young has his first career multi-homer game! pic.twitter.com/YQYfxqoxIR
That matters because the Mariners walked into this series having just lost first place and facing an Angels club looking to take advantage of a Seattle team that’s been hampered lately. On a night like that, the Mariners didn’t need a vague offensive possibility.
They needed production. Young supplied it twice.
He’s been building toward nights like this for a while. Through this stretch, Young has put up 2.8 WAR with nine home runs, 40 RBI - tied with Julio Rodríguez for the team lead - and a .260/.321/.392 slash line with a 104 OPS+.
For Seattle, the bigger takeaway is that Young looks like more than just a promising name on a prospect list. The organization clearly trusted its own evaluation, and Monday gave another reminder that there’s real value here.
The left-handed pitching issue still lingers, though. And in a twist that fit the night, Dom Canzone added to the damage with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Mariners two lefties going deep against lefties.
Mariners fans have been waiting for more from Canzone, and his numbers explain why. He’s hitting .273/.347/.552 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI overall. Most of the production has come against right-handers, but even in a tiny sample against lefties, he’s been dangerous: .238/.429/.524 with two home runs, three RBI and six walks in just 21 at-bats.
Dominic Canzone, absolutely demolished ... left-on-left, and No. 13 of the season.Exit velo: 108.4 mphLaunch angle: 25°Distance: 428 ft.Hang time: 5.2 seconds pic.twitter.com/9WawpN8Stf
It’s still a small sample, but it’s enough to make you wonder what Seattle might have if it gives him a longer look in that spot.
Young’s night also fits into a bigger reality around the Mariners: outside the Pacific Northwest, they often get buried under the louder, flashier young names across baseball. Young and Colt Emerson can get lost in the noise when Sal Stewart, JJ Wetherholt, Konnor Griffin, Kevin McGonigle, Jac Caglianone, Nick Kurtz and others are soaking up attention.
But none of that changes what the Mariners need right now. They need Young’s pull-side damage to keep showing up.
They need more nights like this from Canzone. And they need the rest of the lineup to start matching it.
If Julio heats up, Cal Raleigh gets anywhere close to last season’s version of himself, and Josh Naylor finds some consistency, this team could look very different by the end of the year.
In Other News...
Former Teammate Just Raised A Disturbing New Question About Josh Naylor
The June 28 matchup between the Mariners and Guardians already had some edge to it when Josh Naylor and Austin Hedges, former teammates in Cleveland, got into a shouting match on the field. But the scene took on a different tone once former teammate Stone Garrett publicly revived old allegations tied to Naylors time in the Miami Marlins minor league system, adding a jarring off-field layer to a confrontation that had started in the heat of the game.
Those accusations point back to reported events from 2016 and have long carried uncomfortable baggage around Naylors reputation away from the batters box. Garretts comments have now put a fresh spotlight on that history, and with Naylor now a key part of Seattles lineup, the Mariners are left dealing with the broader context as much as the baseball itself. [Read more 🡒]
Colt Emerson's Slump Has Mariners Facing A Decision Fans Won't Ignore
Colt Emerson arrived in the majors with the sort of early energy that can make a young player look like he belongs before the league has fully adjusted. Since June, though, the Mariners have seen the rough edge of the learning curve, with more strikeouts and more trouble when breaking pitches start finishing their paths. For a club trying to sort out both its infield and its larger rhythm, Emersons bat has become one of those small decisions that can feel larger than it should.
His talent and approach still give Seattle reasons to stay patient, because young hitters do not always move in a straight line and Emersons attitude has helped keep the conversation from turning sour. Even so, the Mariners have to balance development against the need for clean production, and every start he gets now feels like part of a bigger evaluation of where he fits next. The question hanging over the roster is less about whether he can help someday than how long the team is willing to let him work through this stretch in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Are Sending A Concerning Message With These Rest Decisions
The Mariners latest lineup shuffle is about more than just keeping bodies fresh. Cal Raleigh and Luke Raley have both been getting rest as Seattle manages minor injuries and general fatigue, with manager Dan Wilson and general manager Justin Hollander each offering updates on where those players stand. Randy Arozarena has also been handled carefully since coming off the injured list, getting time at designated hitter to cut down on the physical wear as the club tries to keep its regulars available through the homestand.
Cole Wilcoxs return from Triple-A Tacoma and Josh Simpsons trip back down were the sort of roster move that can get lost in the shuffle, but it fits the broader picture: Seattle is weighing short-term health against the risk of overextending key contributors. The concern for the Mariners is not just who is out there today, but whether all this maintenance is a sign the team is already managing a roster thats been pushed close to its limit. [Read more 🡒]