Seattle, WA
Seattle Mariners' intriguing option if 3B defense is lacking
The Seattle Mariners had well documented offensive issues for much of the 2024 season, but one thing they could almost always count on was solid defense at an important position: third base.
That’s probably not going to be the case in 2025, at least at the start of the season.
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This offseason, Seattle did not tender a contract to Josh Rojas, who was the team’s primary third baseman in 2024. He was statistically one of the best players defensively at the position, but he isn’t much of an offensive threat. So instead, the Mariners are going into 2025 with Jorge Polanco penciled in at the hot corner.
Polanco has much more power and a higher ceiling at the plate than Rojas, but he’s not known for his defense. And in fact, he’s not really that familiar with third base. The 31-year-old switch-hitter came up as a shortstop with the Minnesota Twins and has primarily played second base since 2021. In his MLB career, he’s appeared at third in just 24 of his 917 games.
The Mariners recently brought Polanco back on a one-year contract for 2025, and it’s a move MLB Network insider Jon Morosi termed as “not a bad risk.” But Morosi isn’t sold on Polanco as a third baseman, especially since the Mariners are built around their elite starting pitching and put a high priority on suppressing runs.
Morosi: What the Mariners’ reunion with Polanco says about offense
“I’m just not sure how that looks in the end because he’s been a middle infielder for basically his entire career,” Morosi said Wednesday during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “So now he’s going over to third base, he can probably handle it, but this is a pitching and defense team that needs third base to be played at an above-average level, I believe.
“Yes, (Seattle’s pitchers) miss plenty of bats, but that’s a really crucial defensive position to have someone at a relatively advanced baseball age – at least a mid-career player – move there and do it for the first time in the major leagues. So yeah, I heard (Polanco will be the Mariners’ third baseman) and raised an eyebrow a bit at at that.”
The Mariners may have a backup plan if Polanco’s defense isn’t up to par, though, and it’s one that’s pretty intriguing defensively even though it has gone under the radar at this point.
Keep your eye on Ben Williamson
The Mariners’ farm system is loaded with players ranked in the top 100 of all baseball prospects by various publications, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other prospects in the organization who could help the big league club.
Specifically in this case, there’s 24-year-old third baseman Ben Williamson, a second-round 2023 MLB Draft pick by Seattle out of the College of William & Mary.
Williamson spent the majority of 2024 with Double-A Arkansas, and his numbers at the plate were solid but not eye-popping (.273/.365/.374 slash, .749 OPS, three home runs in 95 Double-A games). It’s his glove that makes him interesting, though, and it’s easy to see a scenario this year where the Mariners want to keep Polanco’s bat in the lineup as the designated hitter while Williamson comes up to provide a defensive upgrade at third.
The MLB Pipeline profile of Williamson calls him “a plus defender at the hot corner who will prevent runs for whatever pitching staff he plays behind, and he can even move to shortstop when needed. His success is rooted in his body being in sync, having the instincts to read tough hops to go along with above-average arm strength.”
Mariners assistant general manager Andy McKay raved about Williamson to Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk just this week when he spotlighted some prospects to watch this spring.
“Recently he graded out in one of the industry sources … as arguably the best defensive infielder in Minor League Baseball. And whether he is or isn’t, he’s definitely in that conversation,” McKay said. “High baseball IQ, tremendous competitor. He was a part of that championship team in Arkansas last year and is just a true professional.”
McKay’s three under-the-radar Mariners prospects to watch this spring
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander also pointed at Williamson, who is one of the team’s non-roster invitees to MLB spring training, as an option at third when he joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy in studio Wednesday.
“(He’s) an awesome defender who advanced through Double-A last year, will likely start a Triple-A this year,” Hollander said, “and you’ll see a lot of Ben at third in spring.”
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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