Mariners Second Baseman Cole Young Showing Improvement, Crucial for Offense

Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young, a former first-round pick and top-100 prospect, is finding his stride at the major league level after a slow start, hitting .264/.391/.491 in his last 18 games, including a recent 456-foot home run. As the fourth-youngest position player in MLB, his ability to provide quality at-bats and at least league-average production at the bottom of the order is becoming increasingly important for the Mariners' suddenly loaded lineup ahead of October.