The Mariners added top prospects Colt Emerson in a large group, it was first reported by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The 20-year-old is among the top young players in the sport. The team has officially announced the promotion. Brendan Donovan placed on IL for 10 days with groin strain as a corresponding motion.
The Mariners released an updated schedule for Sunday Night Baseball against the Padres. Emerson now bats ninth and plays third base instead Leo Rivas. He will be the youngest Mariner to make his debut since he was 19 years old Félix Hernández in 2005, according to the group.
Emerson failed to land an MLB gig coming out of Spring Training, despite a 111 wRC+ in 18 games. The 20-year-old slashed .255/.347/.469 in 38 games at Triple-A this season. He has scored seven runs to go along with 10 stolen bases.
Seattle inked Emerson to an eight-year, $95MM extension in late March. The price tag is a record price for a player who has yet to appear in the majors. MLB Pipeline ranked Emerson sixth among all prospects. FanGraphs has an infielder just outside the top 10.
The Mariners didn’t give Emerson a chance in the majors when he was a shortstop JP Crawford he was working through a shoulder injury at the beginning of the year. It seems that another injury to a midfielder has opened the door for the youngster. Donovan had been out of the lineup since Friday. He has been the club’s number three every day player when fit. Emerson played mostly shortstop with Tacoma, but made five appearances at the hot corner this season.
Donovan has dealt with groin issues since the offseason. He underwent surgery for a sports hernia before the start of the 2026 campaign. The forward hit IL in late April with a groin strain. After just seven games, Donovan is back on the injured list with the same injury. With Emerson taking over at third base, the versatile Donovan will move to multiple positions when healthy, according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. There is no timetable for his return, but the club hopes he can return to full fitness in a few weeks, according to Divish.
Seattle took Emerson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He quickly moved to the lower levels of children. Emerson posted an impressive 129 wRC+ across all three levels last year, capped by a massive .364/.444/.727 line in the short sample at Triple-A. He hasn’t played so far this season, especially in terms of contact. Emerson has a career high 27.2% over 169 plate appearances in the minors this year. Power and speed have been among the best he’s shown, though. Emerson’s 16 homers and 14 steals in 2025 were both career highs. He would have passed that mark if he had stayed with Tacoma longer.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
