It’s all still here.
The Mariners played their second game of Spring Training on Saturday, the first of 33 consecutive Saturday games in 2026. There was noticeably less excitement around the blogosphere for this matchup, the novelty of the new season already faded, laying bare the sloppy, non-competitive play of February baseball. But it was nice to feel routine settling in. We’ve got a long way to go.
Like most Spring Training games, I watched this one with good intentions early, but my interest slowly faded as more recognizable faces left and the play got worse. I’m writing this sentence right now in the eighth inning against a muted TV, my eyes flicking up to see Rhylan Thomas lose a ball in the sun for a triple. (My latest peak sees him make a great catch sliding into the wall in left center to end the inning; it appears the Giants scored four times since my last glance.)
Anyways, the Mariners lost to the Giants 10-5 on Saturday. Here are some notes.
Emerson Hancock
Emerson Hancock made his first start of 2026. This is something of a make or break Spring Training for him. He now has 31 starts in MLB over the last three years with a 5.38 FIP, and there isn’t much to root for in the peripherals. While the team thought it best move him to the bullpen at the end of last season, they’ve given him another shot as a starter at the outset of 2026. Unlike the last two seasons, however, he’s not a lock for the sixth starter job out of camp. His future in the rotation could very well hang on his performance in his first few outings.
How’d he look on Saturday? Eh, pretty good. He came out pumping 96-97 on his fastballs and picked up five whiffs in the first inning alone. His velocity dipped slightly in the second, and his command was spotty, but he ended the day with four strikeouts and nine whiffs.
The outing was encouraging for a first look in 2026. But we’ve seen Hancock ramp up the velocity for an inning or two in the past. To take the next step, he’ll need to show he can be effective deeper into games; he didn’t quite get through his two scheduled innings Saturday.
Colt Emerson and Cole Young
Colt Emerson—the other Emerson—also got his first look of the Spring. He’s battling for spot on the opening day field. He got the start at third base and batted ninth. He struck out in both of his opportunities.
Battling for the same infield spot is Cole Young, who delivered two pretty solid at bats, drawing a pair of walks on eight pitches each. As I detailed in his 40 in 40, Young’s power-patience combo is an exciting premise for his future at the plate. But as I highlighted in the same post, his defense is still somewhat troubling. Right on cue, he didn’t take charge on a pop up in the second inning and let it fall for an infield double. Two runs scored on the play, and two more runs scored on the next play.
Miles Mastrobuoni
Miles Mastrobuoni is also fighting for a spot on the end of the Mariners’ Opening Day bench. He’s making a strong case right out the gate. After going 1-for-2 with a double on Friday, he walloped a grand slam off Hayden Birdsong in the bottom of the first. He followed that up with a hustle double on a line drive into the left center gap in the third. That’s three extra base hits in four plate appearances to start 2026 for Mastrobuoni.
Andrés Muñoz, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo
Andrés Muñoz pitched the third. He gave up a pair of leadoff doubles and also got a pair of strikeouts. I don’t have much to say about his outing, other than, hey, good to see him again. That’s roughly my assessment for Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo, who also pitched in the game.