Mariners promote prospects Cole Young, Gabriel Gonzalez to High-A Everett

SEATTLE – With the MLB draft behind them and some recent draftees expected to report to affiliates in the coming weeks, the Mariners have promoted some prospects who have excelled during their minor-league seasons.

Infielder Cole Young, the Mariners’ 2022 first-round pick (No. 21 overall) and outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, a top signing out of Venezuela in the 2021 international signing class, were moved from Low-A Modesto to High-A Everett on Friday.

“You know we wanted to be disciplined to our process and not just do it after April when they came out of the gates on fire,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said.

“I guess over the course of not just the first month of the season, the second month of the season, and now we’re three months into this season of them really showing that they are ready for the next challenge, they’re ready for their next league.”

Young turns 20 on July 29, and Gonzalez won’t turn 20 until Jan. 4. They rank Nos. 2 and 4 in the Mariners’ prospect chart, according to MLB Pipeline. Young is No. 57 and Gonzalez No. 98 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects list.

“They’ve been really consistently excellent on both sides of the ball,” Hollander said. “Fundamentally, physically, tools-wise, emotionally, they’re both ready to go to the next level. So while they’re young for their current league, they’ll be very young for the next league.

“We don’t really feel like holding them down artificially just because their age is young for that level; [it] makes sense for their own development. It’s good for them to go out, having played half a season in the Cal League and go to the next level, go to Northwest, where we can continue to challenge them.”

A left-handed hitter with an advanced approach and understanding of the strike zone to go with excellent bat-to-ball skills, Young posted a .267/.396/.429 slash line in 78 games and 376 plate appearance with Modesto. He has 81 hits (including 20 doubles, seven triples, five homers), 39 RBI, 60 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 54 walks and only 52 strikeouts.

Though he’s played the majority of games at shortstop for Modesto, Young profiles more as a second baseman, according to most professional scouts.

After closing the 2022 season with Modesto as an 18-year-old, playing in 35 games and posting a .286/.400/..289 slash line with five doubles, a triple, two homers and 17 RBI, Gonzalez has been dominant with the Nuts this season.

In 73 games, he’s posted a .348/.403/.530 slash line in 335 plate appearances. Of his 103 hits, he had 18 doubles, four triples and nine homers with 54 RBI, 51 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 23 walks and 46 strikeouts. He played primarily right field and a handful of games in left field.

The Mariners also announced that outfielder Alberto Rodriguez was promoted from Everett to Double-A Arkansas.

Rodriguez, 22, is the Mariners’ 26th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The combination of a poor performance last season and younger prospects added to the organization saw him fall in the rankings.

After putting him on the 40-man roster in December 2021 to protect him in the Rule 5 draft, Rodriguez arrived to 2022 spring training out of shape, leading to underperformance. The Mariners designated him for assignment in January to clear 40-man roster space. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minor leagues.

Still invited to MLB spring training, he arrived in much better shape and motivated to return himself to a prospect.

“I’m really proud of what Alberto did,” Hollander said. “It was a hard thing to get added to a roster at such young age and not have the kind of success that you wanted to have. Then you get taken off the roster and take it as a challenge.”

In 72 games, Rodriguez has posted a .306/.309/.580 slash line with 30 doubles, seven triples, 11 homers, 58 RBI, 61 runs scored, 31 walks and 69 strikeouts.

“He came in in great shape this year and saw it from spring training, the quality of at-bat that he put together,” Hollander said. “The big hits he got and the loud contact he showed off in spring training, and it has really carried over into his season this year. He’s really restarted his career in a positive way.”

There could be more promotions in the coming weeks.

“Probably case by case, and we haven’t made any decisions on anybody,” Hollander said. “It happened to be a nice point in this schedule with the break to move those three guys. If there are other guys, we’re not going to wait for like an artificial date. It doesn’t have to be Aug. 1 or something like that.”