On one hand, Colt Emerson’s first full season of pro ball was a big success. A high school shortstop taken in the first round of the 2023 Draft, he made it up to High-A Everett just after his 19th birthday.

But he also got hit by the injury bug twice. He missed a couple of weeks in April with an oblique issue and then a fractured left foot suffered in mid-May kept him out for over a month. So as much as scouts loved his swing and overall performance, they only got to see him on the field for 70 total games.

“It was frustrating, but also I just thought of it as, ‘God had a plan for me,’” Emerson, the Mariners’ No. 1 prospect (No. 27 on the Top 100) said. “The injuries I had were weird, and I really took that time in rehab after getting hurt, and [it] really gave me a new perspective on baseball and on life.”

That outlook made it easy for Emerson to get fired up to come to Arizona and play for the Peoria Javelinas in the Fall League. He wasted no time in showing just how excited he was with a five-hit (four doubles) game in his debut.

“I learned that baseball can really just be stripped away at any point, and I just need to be grateful every pitch, every game I get to play,” Emerson said. “So when I came back, I really took advantage of really having fun, really taking advantage of the time being on the field, because I know at any point, any weird thing could happen, I could be off the field.”

Showing up every day early in the year for a Modesto Nuts team that posted a .641 winning percentage in the first half (and would go on to win the California League championship) certainly made having fun much easier. It was a lineup that featured not only Emerson, but other teenaged hitters like Lazaro Montes, Tai Peete and Michael Arroyo.

“It was amazing,” Emerson said. “Every day was something new, interesting. So many characters on the team, and at the end of the day, we were a great baseball team, and winning games like that, having fun doing it, was just an amazing experience. It was a great start to the season.”

He’s getting the chance to finish it off healthy in Arizona. He’s played only shortstop for Peoria, and that’s where the bulk of his time has come since he signed with the Mariners, though he has also seen a little time at second and third. There may have been the chance to see him move around the dirt a bit in the AFL, but with Cole Young not playing in the desert as initially expected, he might not have to share time at the premium position. Emerson leans on his positive perspective again when contemplating what his future defensive home might be.

“I’ve been a shortstop all my life, and I can see myself being a shortstop,” he said. “If I have to play third base, if I have to play right field, it doesn’t matter, as long as I’m on the field, I’m happy.”

Mariners hitters in the Fall League

Cole Young, SS/2B (No. 2/MLB No. 38): Young played in one Fall League game before the decision was made to send him home. He’s healthy, but 124 games and 552 regular-season plate appearances was deemed to be enough.

Jared Sundstrom, OF (No. 29): A tenth-round pick in 2023 out of Santa Barbara, Sundstrom had a solid first full season with High-A Everett, showing off some pop (13 homers, .434 SLG) and some patience (71 BB, .380 OBP) while also stealing 26 bases. He’s physical and athletic with a fourth-outfielder profile, with his AFL experience helping him prepare for the leap to Double-A in 2025.

Mariners pitchers in the Fall League

Jimmy Joyce, RHP (No. 23): A 16th-rounder who signed for just $25,000 in 2021, Joyce saw the improvements in command he made in 2023 regress this past year (5.2 BB/9) and missed a month at the start of the year with an elbow issue. He still can be tough to hit (.228 BAA in 2024) and has a three-pitch mix coming from a funky arm slot, with it looking more likely that he’s destined for a bullpen full-time.

Jordan Jackson, RHP: After amassing 119 IP in his first full season of pro ball in 2022 after the Mariners took him in the tenth round of the 2021 Draft, Jackson has had a hard time staying healthy. He threw just 32 innings in 2023 and missed nearly all of the 2024 season with forearm and elbow issues. He, Joyce, Kingsbury and Ruffcorn are all eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December if they aren’t protected on the 40-man roster.

Jimmy Kingsbury, RHP: Taken in Round 17 of the 2021 Draft out of Villanova, Kingsbury has spent nearly all of his three full seasons of pro ball at the A levels. But after posting a 2.40 ERA and .193 BAA over 39 games with High-A Everett, he finally got his first taste of Double-A. He’s always done a good job at getting ground ball outs and can use his time in Arizona to prep him for what will hopefully be a full-time move to Arkansas.

Travis Kuhn, RHP: Back in 2021, Kuhn pitched well for Peoria in the AFL, which allowed him to jump to Double-A Arkansas the following season. He’s been a part of the Travelers’ bullpen since, with three years logged. He’s coming off a solid campaign (3.33 ERA, 10.7 K/9, 3.8 BB/9) and misses a fair amount of bats with a fastball that sits 95-97 mph and a mid-80s slider.

Jason Ruffcorn, RHP: The son of former big league pitcher Scott Ruffcorn, Jason began his career with the Phillies and was acquired by the Mariners in March for cash considerations. He reached the upper levels for the first time since being drafted in 2021 and used his four-seam fastball, cutter and sweeper to finish the 2024 season with a 3.44 ERA, 10.0 K/9 rate and .225 BAA.