May 4, 2026 • 8 mins
Mariners early-season-star second baseman Cole Young joins Softy and Dick Fain to talk about his massive jump in his second season, his improved defense with the help of Perry Hill and the specific things Hill has helped with, his great splits against left handed pitchers, watching Emerson Hancock strike out 14 batters Saturday, and better weather.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now back to Softie and Dick Gone your Home for
the Huskies, Correcting and The twelfth Man.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM. All right,
boys and girls, we're back here. Jimmy's on first across
the street from T.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Mobile Mariners and Brainy Eve's coming up tonight, game one
of three. But what do you say we stop yak
and go across the street? Is joining us right now
on the radio show Guys Kicking Ass So far in
twenty twenty six, No doubt, Man maybe on his way
to an All Star game, you never know. Joining us
right now in the air, across the street from T
Mobile Mariners second basement.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Cole Young with us right now on the air. Cole,
how you doing, Man?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Doing great? Well? It's starting the You're really nice in Seattle,
so it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, it's great to hear your voice. Great to have
you back on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
We just talked about the jump Man that you've taken
from year one to year two, and there's a lot
of cliches out there, so sometimes I kind of lose track,
But one of my favorites is that they always say
the biggest jump that major leaguers make is from year
one to year two. I think that's what they say,
something like that, tell us about the jump that you
think you've made and how much more comfortable you are
now versus the guy that we saw first come up
(01:06):
a year ago.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Dude.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, you know, I think I think I made a
pretty big jump. And I think it all starts to
just in this past offseason, you know, really just take
a step back and looking at the twenty twenty five
season and you know, taking the positives and you know,
learning from the learning from the negatives. And I think
that was the biggest thing for me, whether it was offensively, defensively,
(01:29):
and you know, just trying to get better at the
things I need to do. And that was just the
main focus this offseason. So you know, did that went
into spring training? Felt felt good? And yeah, just just
have have that mindset to just you know, keep getting
better every single day. And so like that's been working
for me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, is it easier now that you went into day
one of the season with the job so you could
kind of just relax and settle in because all last year,
I mean basically you were still in a tryout mode
to prove it move.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, I mean It definitely helps starting the year with
the with the team. You know, it's nice to you know,
play every single day and you know, get a ton
of a bat, so that's always great. But yeah, it's
it's nice to play every day and it feels great.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I'll tell you what, Cole Young's wither.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
As impressed as we are with your bat, I'm even
more impressed with your defense, man. I mean, honestly, tell
us about kind of how much work you put into
that behind closed doors and how much pride you're taking
your defense right now.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, credit goes to Perry Hill, our infield coach. He's
been such a such a help since I got to
the big leagues, and that's who I've learned everything from.
So everything I've learned from twenty twenty five, I you know,
worked really hard this offseason and on the things he
taught me, and you know, made it a point to
get better at that. And yeah, I'm taking credit to him.
(02:57):
He's he's gotta be the greatest in infield coach of
all time. So just trying to learn as much as
as possible from him, and and you know we get
after it every single day.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, he's seventy five years old.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I mean, he's been around the game a long time, dude, right, Cole,
So he's worked with some great second basement. He goes
back all the way to the nineteen seventies, for god's sakes,
nineteen eighties.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So you mentioned his name there.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Can you give us maybe a little bit of an
anecdote or maybe something that he's taught you specifically that
you think has made a big difference in your defense.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Yeah, So you know, his thing is the success, which
pretty much is just you know, the fundamentals of fielding
of baseball. So that's that's really, that's really what he preaches.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So I know I've.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Doubled down on the on the fundamentals and you know,
I'm not not trying to make you know, the flashiest
play ever. I'm trying to, you know, have that mindset
of is making making the routine plays and you know,
getting getting the routine out. So you know, that's been
the mindset and he's really ingrades that in my mind.
So that's that's what I worked a lot, just the routine,
(04:06):
routine plays, the fundamentals and getting really good at those
and then you know on the balls that are you know,
really far to my right or left. It's, you know,
kind of all athleticisms from there, but just really hammering,
hammering down the fundamentals.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Speaking of hammering, you're hammering left handed pitching this year.
Talk about your your negative splits and maybe why we're
seeing negative splits from you this year where you're hitting
lefties better than righty's.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, yeah, I honestly, I don't really know. I mean,
I've never you know, had that part of the time
hitting lefties. But I think I faced a lot of
lefties in spring training, which helped me a ton. So
I feel like I feel like, I read battle is
facing a lefty in spring so got a ton of
(04:52):
a bat against against lefties. So I think that, you know,
help me, help me prepare for the season once once
I do face lefty. So and another thing too, it's
you know, I'm trying to say short and in simplegans lefties.
You know it can be a weird angle at times,
but just having that short and simple mindset has helped
me well.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Cole Young's with us and Cole, I got to ask
you about Saturday Night Man. First of all, did you
get a chance to meet the big unit? Did you
rub elbows with Randy Johnson Saturday at all.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I didn't get a chance to meet him, but I
tossed him in the in the tunnel. He's he's pretty busy,
but to toss him in the tunnel, and yeah, I
don't think I've ever seen anyone taller taller than before
in real life.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
So yeah, yeah, he's literally a foot taller than you,
by the way. All right, so yeah that would be
pretty intimidating. But what was it like for you on Saturday?
I know you guys, would you know, love to have
had the win on Saturday night? Uh, you know, any
win this weekend against Kansas City. What was it like
for you to sit back and watch Emerson Hancock work
(05:55):
on Saturday night? Man, that was pretty damn impressive with
with fourteen k's What did you say from him Saturday?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Man?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, that was that was unbelievable. You know, I didn't
really realize how many strikeouts he had and and chill
was I think it was the seventh thing I looked
up in so fourteen next to a strikeout call him.
So I remember looking at GP, I'm like, what is
going on? I just did not expect that. I was
kind of busy, just you know, focusing on the on
each play. But that was unreal. That was one of
(06:28):
one of the crazier performances I've seen since the benef Here.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
You started the conversation talking about the weather, and certainly
we were getting un early May like weather here in Seattle.
It's more like July. Do you guys talk about that,
because you know, we make a big deal about the
media and the fans do like, oh yeah, Susic get
warmed up. Mariners can hit at T Mobile Park. Do
you guys talk about that when it's an eighty degree
day here?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean, yeah, yeah, we do. It's definitely it's definitely
easier to hit in warmer weather than cool weather, obviously,
but you know, the ball definitely flies more like even
you can you can tell the difference, and in Earli
word dotting practice, it's just you know, the balls carrying
a little bit more. You know, if you get jammed,
(07:12):
it doesn't doesn't hurt as bad as cold weather. So
it's a little a little easier to hit in warm weather.
And you know, the the ball carries more too, So
it's it's nice.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, listen, man, congratulations on a hell of a start
for you. Uh, you've been kicking ass out there both
offense defense. I know there's a lot more meat on
that bone, so go get it.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Man.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
We appreciate you doing this and we'll talk down the road.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Goal appreciate it. Thanks, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah you bet, Man Coley Young Mariner Second Basement with
us on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Great to hear his voice.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Man off to a hell of a start, hitting two
sixty six seven to twenty oh ps overall numbers that
don't jump off the page, but it's the whole package, right,
everything jumps off the page.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
This guy's going to be a consistent hitter.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
He's going to be a consistently good to not great
second Basement. He had the air what was it Friday
or Thursday, whatever game we were watching, and it was like, wow,
did that just happen? That was his first air on
the entire year. So I think the competition for second base,
I mean, look, there may be a question marking by
shortstop down the road, and I think there maybe even
third down the road.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
There's no question about second.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I mean he looks like your second Basement for a decade,
that's right. I mean, he really does and it is weird.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
The splits though.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I mean, you mentioned the overall ops, but if it's
eight eleven versus six seventy three, you'd think he'd be
hitting eight eleven against righty's, not against lefties.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, I love that he's here, man. I think you're right.
He's going to be a consistent guy for a long time.
We've gotta break. Bill Krueger will join us at five
textimonials next segment. I think, I think, I think Emerson
Hancock maybe joining us at eight at five thirty on
the radio program eight thirty Eastern with US. So stay
tuned for that life from Jimmy's on ninety three three KJRFM.
Now back to Softie and Dick Gone your Home for
the Huskies, Correcting and The twelfth Man.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM. All right,
boys and girls, we're back here. Jimmy's on first across
the street from T.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Mobile Mariners and Brainy Eve's coming up tonight, game one
of three. But what do you say we stop yak
and go across the street? Is joining us right now
on the radio show Guys Kicking Ass So far in
twenty twenty six, No doubt, Man maybe on his way
to an All Star game, you never know. Joining us
right now in the air, across the street from T
Mobile Mariners second basement.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Cole Young with us right now on the air. Cole,
how you doing, Man?
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Doing great? Well? It's starting the You're really nice in Seattle,
so it's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, it's great to hear your voice. Great to have
you back on the show.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
We just talked about the jump Man that you've taken
from year one to year two, and there's a lot
of cliches out there, so sometimes I kind of lose track,
But one of my favorites is that they always say
the biggest jump that major leaguers make is from year
one to year two. I think that's what they say,
something like that, tell us about the jump that you
think you've made and how much more comfortable you are
now versus the guy that we saw first come up
(01:06):
a year ago.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Dude.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, you know, I think I think I made a
pretty big jump. And I think it all starts to
just in this past offseason, you know, really just take
a step back and looking at the twenty twenty five
season and you know, taking the positives and you know,
learning from the learning from the negatives. And I think
that was the biggest thing for me, whether it was offensively, defensively,
(01:29):
and you know, just trying to get better at the
things I need to do. And that was just the
main focus this offseason. So you know, did that went
into spring training? Felt felt good? And yeah, just just
have have that mindset to just you know, keep getting
better every single day. And so like that's been working
for me.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Well, is it easier now that you went into day
one of the season with the job so you could
kind of just relax and settle in because all last year,
I mean basically you were still in a tryout mode
to prove it move.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Yeah, I mean It definitely helps starting the year with
the with the team. You know, it's nice to you know,
play every single day and you know, get a ton
of a bat, so that's always great. But yeah, it's
it's nice to play every day and it feels great.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I'll tell you what, Cole Young's wither.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
As impressed as we are with your bat, I'm even
more impressed with your defense, man. I mean, honestly, tell
us about kind of how much work you put into
that behind closed doors and how much pride you're taking
your defense right now.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, credit goes to Perry Hill, our infield coach. He's
been such a such a help since I got to
the big leagues, and that's who I've learned everything from.
So everything I've learned from twenty twenty five, I you know,
worked really hard this offseason and on the things he
taught me, and you know, made it a point to
get better at that. And yeah, I'm taking credit to him.
(02:57):
He's he's gotta be the greatest in infield coach of
all time. So just trying to learn as much as
as possible from him, and and you know we get
after it every single day.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Well, he's seventy five years old.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I mean, he's been around the game a long time, dude, right, Cole,
So he's worked with some great second basement. He goes
back all the way to the nineteen seventies, for god's sakes,
nineteen eighties.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
So you mentioned his name there.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Can you give us maybe a little bit of an
anecdote or maybe something that he's taught you specifically that
you think has made a big difference in your defense.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Yeah, So you know, his thing is the success, which
pretty much is just you know, the fundamentals of fielding
of baseball. So that's that's really, that's really what he preaches.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
So I know I've.
Speaker 4 (03:44):
Doubled down on the on the fundamentals and you know,
I'm not not trying to make you know, the flashiest
play ever. I'm trying to, you know, have that mindset
of is making making the routine plays and you know,
getting getting the routine out. So you know, that's been
the mindset and he's really ingrades that in my mind.
So that's that's what I worked a lot, just the routine,
(04:06):
routine plays, the fundamentals and getting really good at those
and then you know on the balls that are you know,
really far to my right or left. It's, you know,
kind of all athleticisms from there, but just really hammering,
hammering down the fundamentals.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Speaking of hammering, you're hammering left handed pitching this year.
Talk about your your negative splits and maybe why we're
seeing negative splits from you this year where you're hitting
lefties better than righty's.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
Yeah, yeah, I honestly, I don't really know. I mean,
I've never you know, had that part of the time
hitting lefties. But I think I faced a lot of
lefties in spring training, which helped me a ton. So
I feel like I feel like, I read battle is
facing a lefty in spring so got a ton of
(04:52):
a bat against against lefties. So I think that, you know,
help me, help me prepare for the season once once
I do face lefty. So and another thing too, it's
you know, I'm trying to say short and in simplegans lefties.
You know it can be a weird angle at times,
but just having that short and simple mindset has helped
me well.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Cole Young's with us and Cole, I got to ask
you about Saturday Night Man. First of all, did you
get a chance to meet the big unit? Did you
rub elbows with Randy Johnson Saturday at all.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
I didn't get a chance to meet him, but I
tossed him in the in the tunnel. He's he's pretty busy,
but to toss him in the tunnel, and yeah, I
don't think I've ever seen anyone taller taller than before
in real life.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
So yeah, yeah, he's literally a foot taller than you,
by the way. All right, so yeah that would be
pretty intimidating. But what was it like for you on Saturday?
I know you guys, would you know, love to have
had the win on Saturday night? Uh, you know, any
win this weekend against Kansas City. What was it like
for you to sit back and watch Emerson Hancock work
(05:55):
on Saturday night? Man, that was pretty damn impressive with
with fourteen k's What did you say from him Saturday?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Man?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
Yeah, that was that was unbelievable. You know, I didn't
really realize how many strikeouts he had and and chill
was I think it was the seventh thing I looked
up in so fourteen next to a strikeout call him.
So I remember looking at GP, I'm like, what is
going on? I just did not expect that. I was
kind of busy, just you know, focusing on the on
each play. But that was unreal. That was one of
(06:28):
one of the crazier performances I've seen since the benef Here.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
You started the conversation talking about the weather, and certainly
we were getting un early May like weather here in Seattle.
It's more like July. Do you guys talk about that,
because you know, we make a big deal about the
media and the fans do like, oh yeah, Susic get
warmed up. Mariners can hit at T Mobile Park. Do
you guys talk about that when it's an eighty degree
day here?
Speaker 4 (06:50):
I mean, yeah, yeah, we do. It's definitely it's definitely
easier to hit in warmer weather than cool weather, obviously,
but you know, the ball definitely flies more like even
you can you can tell the difference, and in Earli
word dotting practice, it's just you know, the balls carrying
a little bit more. You know, if you get jammed,
(07:12):
it doesn't doesn't hurt as bad as cold weather. So
it's a little a little easier to hit in warm weather.
And you know, the the ball carries more too, So
it's it's nice.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I love it.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, listen, man, congratulations on a hell of a start
for you. Uh, you've been kicking ass out there both
offense defense. I know there's a lot more meat on
that bone, so go get it.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Man.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
We appreciate you doing this and we'll talk down the road.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Goal appreciate it. Thanks, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah you bet, Man Coley Young Mariner Second Basement with
us on the radio show.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Great to hear his voice.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Man off to a hell of a start, hitting two
sixty six seven to twenty oh ps overall numbers that
don't jump off the page, but it's the whole package, right,
everything jumps off the page.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
This guy's going to be a consistent hitter.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
He's going to be a consistently good to not great
second Basement. He had the air what was it Friday
or Thursday, whatever game we were watching, and it was like, wow,
did that just happen? That was his first air on
the entire year. So I think the competition for second base,
I mean, look, there may be a question marking by
shortstop down the road, and I think there maybe even
third down the road.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
There's no question about second.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I mean he looks like your second Basement for a decade,
that's right. I mean, he really does and it is weird.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
The splits though.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
I mean, you mentioned the overall ops, but if it's
eight eleven versus six seventy three, you'd think he'd be
hitting eight eleven against righty's, not against lefties.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Well, I love that he's here, man. I think you're right.
He's going to be a consistent guy for a long time.
We've gotta break. Bill Krueger will join us at five
textimonials next segment. I think, I think, I think Emerson
Hancock maybe joining us at eight at five thirty on
the radio program eight thirty Eastern with US. So stay
tuned for that life from Jimmy's on ninety three three KJRFM.
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