The Seattle Mariners didn’t ease into this decision. They didn’t hedge. They didn’t hide behind spring training competitions or vague front-office language. Instead, they made a statement that sent a clear message throughout the organization and the fan base alike: Ben Williamson is the Seattle Mariners’ starting third baseman for the 2026 season.
For a franchise still searching for stability and identity on the infield corners, the announcement lands with weight. Williamson, once a fast-tracked rookie thrust into chaos, is no longer the emergency option. He is the plan.
“I will give everything until my last breath in this new role and bring glory back to Seattle in 2026,” Williamson said, his words carrying the kind of conviction teams hope for — and rarely get — from a young player stepping into a defining moment.
When the Mariners found themselves desperate for help at third base early last season, few expected Williamson’s name to be the one that changed the conversation. The former William & Mary standout had logged just 150 minor league games, only 14 of them at Triple-A, when Seattle summoned him to the big leagues.
It was a bold move born out of necessity, not luxury. The organization lacked depth. The position was bleeding value. And Williamson’s glove — polished, instinctive, and fearless — stood out as the safest option available.
What followed was a rookie season filled with contrast.
Defensively, Williamson didn’t just survive — he impressed. Despite playing fewer innings than many of his peers, he posted eight defensive runs saved, ranking sixth among all third basemen in baseball. The numbers backed up what the eye test revealed: elite reactions, clean transfers, and a calm presence at the hot corner that belied his experience.
In a league where defense at third base is often sacrificed for power, Williamson flipped the script. He became proof that run prevention still matters — especially for a Mariners team built around pitching.
Offensively, the story was more complicated. Williamson hit .253, a respectable mark for a rookie, but managed just a .294 on-base percentage. The power never arrived. One home run. A 76 wRC+. In 295 plate appearances, he looked more like a contact-oriented infielder than the traditional run-producing third baseman teams covet.
Those limitations eventually pushed Seattle to act. Just before the trade deadline, the Mariners reunited with Eugenio Suárez, sending Williamson back to Triple-A Tacoma for the final two months of the season.
At the time, it felt like a reset. In hindsight, it looks more like a pause.
With Suárez now a free agent, the Mariners faced a crossroads. They could chase a veteran solution. They could lean into prospects. Or they could trust the foundation already in place.
They chose Williamson.
On Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, former Seahawk Dave Wyman didn’t mince words when discussing the choice.
“That’s where you want power. I get that,” Wyman said. “But he’s a proven commodity defensively. So to me, if you’re gonna go young at one of those spots, I would say Williamson.”
The logic is simple — and bold. Seattle believes it can make up Williamson’s offensive shortcomings elsewhere. With Cal Raleigh behind the plate, Julio RodrĂguez anchoring the outfield, and potential trade additions like Ketel Marte or Brendan Donovan still in play, the Mariners are betting that defense at third base will stabilize the roster rather than sink it.
This isn’t a developmental role. This is not a platoon. This is not a “wait and see.”
This is Williamson’s job.
The front office understands the risk. If the bat doesn’t progress, the criticism will be loud. But the Mariners are clearly prioritizing certainty — and they know exactly what they’re getting with Williamson: reliability, discipline, and a player who has already proven he won’t flinch under pressure.
And now, for the first time, he gets to prepare as the guy.
For Ben Williamson, 2026 isn’t just another season. It’s the moment when potential turns into legacy.
Once rushed. Once replaced. Now entrusted.
“I’ll give everything,” he said. “Until my last breath.”
In Seattle, that promise doesn’t sound like talk. It sounds like a challenge — to himself, to the league, and to a city still waiting for something real to believe in.
The Mariners have made their choice.
Now, Ben Williamson gets to decide what it means.
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