Baseball Player Goes From Triple-A Unknown to Seattle Mariners Hero in a Day

Every little leaguer dreams of playing in the major leagues, but only a precious few get to see that become a reality. Cole Young reminded the sporting world how special such moments can be.A day after sending his mom, JoAnne Young, into hysterics with some long-awaited news that he was being called up to the majors, Mr. Young thrilled his new Seattle Mariners teammates with a long-awaited performance. Mr. Cole, a talented infield prospect selected in the first round of the 2022 draft, made an instant impact in his major league debut, driving in the winning run in the 11th inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins on May 31.It wasn’t a home run or a drive off the wall. Instead, it was a chopper to first base that allowed a runner to score from third and put Mr. Young in the middle of a celebratory scrum at first base.The magical moment of being mobbed by his teammates came a day after an emotional phone call to his parents informing them he was being called up from Triple-A Tacoma to play with the big club.“Mom, I just got called up,” he told his mother in a video that had 708,000 likes as of Wednesday.Of course, she erupted with raw emotional pride over her son’s accomplishment. “Oh, my goodness. I love you. Congratulations,” she shouted.“I don’t know what to feel right now,” Mr. Cole said. “This is incredible.”The following day proved even more incredible when his infield chopper allowed Miles Mastrobuoni to beat the throw from first. The fielder’s choice gave the Mariners a 5-4 victory and snapped a three-game losing streak.“I didn’t sleep,” Mr. Young said of the anticipation of his major league debut. “I was just thinking of every scenario that could happen, and a walk-off was not in my mind. That was a crazy game. I haven’t wrapped my head around the game, but it’s been an unreal 24 hours.”Mr. Cole, 21, was called up after a scorching performance in May at Tacoma, where the left-handed hitter batted .366 with 37 hits, 10 doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, and 16 walks. He is considered a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.“He’s a big league player and that’s why he’s here,” Seattle’s manager, Dan Wilson, said. “He did an outstanding job, and that’s not easy to do when it’s your first big-league game. He was able to go out there and just be Cole Young.”Mr. Young grew up in the Pittsburgh area, where he earned a reputation for being a contact hitter. He hasn’t shown a lot of power, but is selective at the plate and seldom strikes out. A sure-handed fielder, he figures to be a fixture for the Mariners at either shortstop or second base.While his major league debut was magical and included his first hit in the ninth inning, he is just 1-for-10 over his first three games heading into Wednesday night. He has started all three games at second base.Mr. Wilson is confident Mr. Cole will make an impact. “Cole is a complete player,” Mr. Wilson said. “He swings the bat very, very well from the left side. He’s a very good defender, as well. He is what you want.”Expect his mother to closely follow the remainder of his career. “Cole was given a gift,” Ms. Young once said. “He’s worked hard on top of that gift. As a mom, I’m just so proud of him and grateful that he’s so blessed.”

Baseball Player Goes From Triple-A Unknown to Seattle Mariners Hero in a Day

Baseball Player Goes From Triple-A Unknown to Seattle Mariners Hero in a Day

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