The Seattle Mariners nearly did it last season.

The franchise that has never even reached the World Series was mere outs away. And then the Toronto Blue Jays ruined everything late in Game 7 of the ALCS, and Seattle’s drought continued.

Much of the Mariners squad that got that far will be back in 2026, but something is set to be different.

That something, rather, someone: Colt Emerson.

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The top prospect for Seattle, and one of the top-10 prospects in the sport, is just about ready.

He’s a natural shortstop, but he could play second base or third base to begin his Mariners career.

Seattle won’t rush Emerson, but they also won’t hold Emerson back once they believe he’s ready.

And at least in the early portions of the spring and into the season, the usage and performance of Emerson will be a huge component to watch for the Mariners.

“It’s not often that a prospect headlines a team with World Series aspirations, but that’s just how bullish the club is on Emerson, who has as much upside as any homegrown position player since Julio Rodríguez played his way onto the Opening Day roster in 2022,” MLB.com wrote in a new article on Monday. “Emerson, who’s just 20 years old, will be given that same opportunity, but there’s also less pressure on him to perform right away after the club’s splashy trade for Brendan Donovan, who will be used primarily at second and third base, the positions that Emerson has the cleanest path to play.”

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Emerson can do pretty much everything on a baseball field, and he’s the type of guy who could grow into the face of a franchise.

For now, the pressure will mostly be off. Seattle has lots of stars already.

It’ll just be up to Emerson to figure out how he can fit in and contribute, and if he does, he’ll be a big boost to the Mariners’ chances.

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