‘A dream come true’: First-rounder Cole Young signs with Mariners

With Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais looking on, first-round pick Cole Young dug into the batter’s box at T-Mobile Park for the first time.

Young turns 19 on Friday, but the 18-year-old-for-now joined current Seattle players for batting practice before Tuesday’s game against the Rangers. The left-handed hitter first sprayed offerings from field coordinator Carson Vitale the opposite way, showcasing the pure bat-to-ball skills which led Seattle to select the Pennsylvania native at No. 21 overall in last week’s draft.

Midway through warmups, Young blasted his first homer into the right field seats, adding a few more in the last round of practice.

“It’s definitely a dream come true to come out here and hit with big leaguers,” Young said from the home dugout. “It’s really cool.”

Young put pen to paper earlier Tuesday, inking his contract with the Mariners for an estimated $3.3 million, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. His slot value was set at $3,292,000.

After making the deal official, the 6-foot, 180-pound shortstop took ground balls during infield work with J.P. Crawford and Dylan Moore. He worked independently with infield coach Perry Hill, and chatted with much of Seattle’s roster, some of whom could become potential teammates.

“I love that stuff. I could field ground balls all day long, especially with someone great like him,” Young said of Hill. “I haven’t really processed anything right now. It’s kind of been one thing to the next, but I’m enjoying every minute so far.”

Young attended the MLB Combine last month, providing the opportunity for the recent high school graduate to meet general managers and fellow players. He felt comfortable with certain organizations — including Seattle — though Young was on the Mariners’ radar long before his name was called in last week’s draft.

At one batting practice earlier this year at North Allegheny High School — Young’s alma mater — director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter needed to see only two of Young’s swings before texting Dipoto: “Yeah, this (pick) is an easy one.”

In 73 career high school games, Young struck out only 24 times in 201 at-bats. He cranked 37 extra-base hits and walked 53 times en route to a .428/.554/.766 slash line. He’s the second consecutive high school selection for the Mariners in the first round, following catcher Harry Ford, taken 12th overall in 2021.

“When you put (him) in a batting cage, it’s not hard to notice he understands what he’s doing,” Hunter said last week. “It’s a natural thing and a natural movement. The bat is an extension of his hands.”

Young won’t swing and miss much, and velocity won’t “overmatch” the first-rounder, his scouting report said. He was named a 2022 preseason All-American by Baseball America and was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s All-Area Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons.

Scouts were in attendance for some of Young’s senior season. He earned a 55-overall grade and 60-grade hit tool. He’s described by Hunter as one of the purest hitters in the 2022 draft class with a 40-grade power tool in development.

On Tuesday, Young arrived at T-Mobile Park with his own bat, glove, and batting gloves.

“To be part of such a great organization means a lot to me,” he said. “I’m thankful to be part of the Mariners organization.”

Young flies to Peoria, Arizona on Wednesday to report for rookie ball. The Mariners said the 18-year-old is talented enough defensively to play second or third base, but will stay at his natural position of shortstop for now.

“I learned that I’ve got to keep working harder,” Young said after batting practice. “I’m never satisfied with where I am.”

Of Seattle’s 20 selections in last week’s draft, 19 have inked contracts. Only 16th-rounder Jacob McNairy – a right-handed pitcher from the University of Alabama – has yet to put pen to paper.

Seattle has until Aug. 1 to sign their draft class, one that features a total of 16 college players and four high-schoolers. The Mariners selected 11 pitchers, six infielders, one catcher, and a pair of outfielders last Sunday, and signed undrafted free agent Connor Charping, a catcher from Western Michigan University.

“We’ve always taken what we thought was the best player at that time,” Dipoto said after selecting Young. “(Cole) checked every box for us.”