Just over a month has passed since the Seattle Mariners called up Ben Williamson from the minors—a move that was rightly met with excitement, given his status as one of the team’s premier prospects.
At first, the decision seemed to pay off, especially at third base. Fans expected the 24-year-old to flash his defensive skills, but his early offensive performance was a welcome surprise. In his first 11 games, Williamson batted .310, putting him in elite company with the likes of Edgar Martinez for the strongest offensive debut by a Mariners third baseman.
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However, fast forward to the present, and Williamson’s numbers have taken a downturn—he’s now slashing .234/.258/.309 with a -0.2 rWAR. Those stats clearly indicate a slump and highlight three key concerns that may have the Mariners reconsidering his role as their everyday third baseman.
Williamson’s 1st Major Issue: His approach is easily exploitable
The Virginia native has stepped up to the plate 97 times, drawing just three walks while striking out 25 times. That results in a dismal walk-to-strikeout ratio, placing him among the bottom 10 hitters with at least 90 plate appearances.
This poor ratio stems largely from his tendency to chase pitches outside the strike zone—something he’s doing 38.2% of the time, well above the league average of 27.9%.
Pitchers have clearly adjusted to this. While they were initially more aggressive with four-seam fastballs during his first 11 games, they’ve since cut back, dropping their four-seam usage against him from 33.3% to 27.0%.
Williamson’s 2nd Major Issue: He doesn’t make good contact
Williamson’s struggles at the plate—batting just .173 over his last 14 games—can largely be attributed to his hittable approach, though that’s not the sole issue. His lack of quality contact is another major factor.
While no one expected him to crush the ball in the majors, his average exit velocity of 87.4 mph ranks in just the 18th percentile league-wide and places him 22nd out of 32 third basemen with at least 90 plate appearances. Additionally, he hits ground balls at a higher rate than most third basemen, with a 47.8 percent ground-ball rate.
Daulton Varsho robs a home run! pic.twitter.com/L0X4PvLQ66
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2025
Given all this, it’s no surprise he’s managed only one home run—though it’s worth noting he would have two if not for a great play by Daulton Varsho.
To be fair, there’s something oddly satisfying about watching him drop singles into shallow right field. But aside from the occasional walk helping his on-base percentage, that stylistic charm doesn’t make up for his lack of offensive output.
Williamson’s 3rd Major Issue: His defense isn’t rating well
Williamson has always been known for his defense, and he’s certainly looked the part of a future Gold Glove winner at third base. He has a rare ability to handle hard-hit balls, and that one catch he made in Texas was nothing short of spectacular.
Ben Williamson makes an unbelievable leaping grab 😮 pic.twitter.com/rarUvDSuGQ
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025
Despite the highlights, though, he currently has a -1 Outs Above Average, indicating he’s below average on plays where he has to charge the ball or move to his right along the third base line.
While his range doesn’t appear to be an issue, there have already been a few examples (see here and here) where he’s failed to secure balls that a big league third baseman needs to handle. Those are plays he simply has to make, and so far, he hasn’t.
If Williamson isn’t the answer, what can the Mariners do at third base?
Since Williamson doesn’t have a top third base prospect right behind him, he should focus on staying calm and working through his current struggles. The Mariners should also be patient with him, as a 13-game slump isn’t an urgent crisis.
However, if the Mariners eventually need to reconsider their options, they don’t have to rely solely on a desperate trade for Rafael Devers.
They have alternatives like Dylan Moore, Leo Rivas, and Miles Mastrobuoni, who can fill in at second and third base temporarily if Williamson gets sent down. Plus, it seems likely that the Mariners will soon give Cole Young a chance. Young, ranked 43rd overall by MLB Pipeline, has been performing very well with Triple-A Tacoma.
Another option could be to try Jorge Polanco at third base again, but since he hasn’t started there since early April, that idea seems unlikely now.
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