By Paul Taylor Posted on

Mariners do the right thing and send Colt Emerson back to Triple-A

Colt Emerson has struggled since getting off to a promising start with the Mariners and at this point, going to Tacoma is for the best.

The Mariners finally did what they had to do on Thursday, optioning Colt Emerson back to Triple-A Tacoma. He had been given the day off from playing in the Mariners’ series finale versus the Yankees and was subsequently advised of the decision during a meeting with manager Dan Wilson, general manager Justin Hollander and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto.

The immediate question was who would replace Emerson at shortstop, especially with J.P. Crawford currently on the Injured List with left wrist inflammation and not expected back for several weeks. It’s assumed that Leo Rivas will take over, with Brock Rodden serving as a backup option after being called up to take Emerson’s roster spot.

This truly is a disappointing and unfortunate turn of events, after all the understandable fanfare surrounding Emerson’s promotion to the Mariners League roster. And early on he actually exceeded all expectations, as he took just 29 at-bats to complete the Major League cycle, just one short of the all-time record set by Cliff Heathcote in 1918 with the Cardinals.

Colt Emerson’s red hot start gives way to ice cold production

Emerson produced a .585 slugging percentage during his first 15 games in Seattle, which was the best by a player age 20 or younger up to that point since Juan Soto in 2018. His hot form continued and after 22 games he had hit six home runs and produced a .884 OPS, but then it all started to go horribly wrong.

Through the following 46 games, Emerson managed just two home runs and put together a rough .430 OPS. He also continued a tradition from recent years by the Mariners collectively striking out too much, with a 34.4 K-rate that was fifth-highest among hitters with 200+ plate appearances.

Even Emerson’s excellent defensive play took a hit and you could almost feel his pain when Brady Farkas of Roundtable Sports and the Refuse to Lose Podcast spoke to him prior to Thursday’s game in New York. Still, the decision to send him back to Tacoma wasn’t taken lightly.

Mariners hoping Colt Emerson follows a similar path to Cole Young

In one respect what Emerson needs to work on can’t be fixed at the Triple-A, and yet how much longer could the Mariners keep sending him out there and risk destroying his confidence? Ultimately, the organization made a decision which was probably best for all concerned, especially with a view on his long-term development and potential.

In addition, it’s not as if the Mariners haven’t been here before, making a similar decision with Colt Young last season when he was struggling. Based on Young’s improved play this season it’s fair to say they made the correct move and the hope is that Emerson will also bounce back from a challenging first tenure in the majors and come back stronger in the future.

Along these lines, the Mariners still maintain the faith in Emerson which convinced them to sign him to an  eight-year, $95 million contract extension back at the end of March, with a ninth-year club option and escalators that could top $130 million. We similarly still have faith in the 2023 22nd overall draft pick, but for now, his focus will be on making the most of his time back in Tacoma.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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