Ahead of the trade deadline, it was widely reported that the Mariners were looking to add an everyday third baseman. With the lack of meaningful offensive production there over the last couple of seasons, it makes sense. Eugenio Suarez, who has been the ‘bat-to-get’ this deadline, has been the Mariners’ primary target. The power, defensive combo, mixed with the overall vibe, isn’t lost on Mariners’ fans. However, after acquiring Josh Naylor on Friday, news emerged Sunday night that the Mariners have pivoted their focus to a high-leverage arm. Two days later, he had his best overall game to date.
Ben Williamson
Williamson, 24, has locked down the Mariners’ starting third base role since being called up in April 2025. So far this year, he’s slashed .252/.289/.307 with an OPS of .596, 1 home run, and 21 RBIs through his first 82 games. Williamson has played exceptional, dare I say, Gold Glove-level defense at third base. No more so than Monday night, when he recorded two putouts, four assists, and a game-saving diving play with the bases loaded. This play got them out of the inning and into the safe hands of Andres Munoz to close out the win.
After his 6th, 8th, and 9th-inning heroics, Williamson told MLB’s Daniel Kramer, “I ended up Gronk-spiking it and rolling over there (when referring to his 6th-inning diving stop to get the lead runner at second base). But it worked out.” Defensive brilliance has been nothing new for Ben Williamson. He currently sits at -1 OAA, which is 24th amongst his fellow third basemen. But he certainly knows when to come up with the big stop. Seattle’s rumored offensive splash, Eugenio Suarez, sits in 37th with -6 OAA. Something that was not the case during his stint with the Mariners. From 2022 to 2023, Suarez was seventh among all third basemen with 11 OAA.
However, unlike Williamson, Suarez compensates for his defensive shortcomings with stellar offensive production. Williamson’s OBP of .289 and SLG of .307 are both well below league-average marks. In OBP and SLG, Suarez has tallied .319 and .579, league average and well above league average. Another big point of contention is Williamson’s 57% ground ball rate. Suarez is running a 30% ground ball rate, with a 37.6% hard hit percentage, as opposed to Williamson’s 25.4%.
As we approach the deadline
With news dropping Sunday from MLB Trade Rumors about the Mariners shifting their focus. It appears they’re giving Williamson his reps as of now. Mariner’s President of Baseball Ops, Jerry Dipoto, told MLB Network radio, ” We don’t want to rob him of his opportunities. But if there’s a way we can get better and put a more impactful team on the field, we have to be at least aware of what that is.”
The Mariners continue to be linked to names like Eugenio Suarez and Willi Castro, both of whom are valuable third base options. One thing is for sure: Williamson remains the starting third baseman approaching the deadline.
Main Photo Credits: John Froschauer-Imagn Images
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