2022 Seattle Mariners Weekly Prospect Update 5/12/2022

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May 12, 2022
Seattle Mariners
Matt Brash, Seattle Mariners.

Week two of this series about the top prospects in the Seattle Mariners system.

The Seattle Mariners have one of the best farm systems in baseball. With the first month out of the Major League season down, we continue our series on how the M’s prospects are doing.

First, let’s mention that we already have our first graduate. George Kirby made his MLB debut on Mother’s Day last Sunday. He spun a gem of a debut as well. Ok on to the minor leaguers.

Trashed Brash

Matt Brash was the Seattle Mariners’ fifth starter to begin the season. Then he was sent down after struggling mightly at the MLB level. At Tacoma, he’s expected to transition from starter to reliever. In his first appearance, he pitched two innings, allowing two hits, striking out three, walking two, and allowing one earned run off a solo home run. This gives him a 4.50 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP. Not the kind of results he, Tacoma, or the Mariners organization were hoping for. However, he’s got time to get it turned around.

Stout Pitching

Levi Stoudt is a former teammate of Kirby. Stoudt is off to a rocky start this year. Currently, owning a 5.40 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, striking out 30 over 30 innings, while walking 8. He’s 3-3 on the year over 6 starts. His calling card is his high fastball, routinely touching 98 mph, but maybe his most devastating pitch is his changeup. It’s what’s really got the Seattle Mariners brass excited. His slider needs to get better otherwise it wouldn’t be shocking to see him end up in the pen (way in the future) as a two-pitch pitcher. It’s doubtful he earns a call-up to the majors this year as he profiles as a backend starter in a major league rotation.

Low Key

The Seattle Mariners named Cade Marlowe the Ken Griffey Jr Minor league hitter of the year in 2021. Do I have your attention now? Yeah, he’s the first minor leaguer to have a 20-20 season, that’s 20 home runs and 20 steals, since Jarred Kelenic’s 2019 season. If that’s not impressive enough he graduated cum laude from the University of West Georgia with a 3.87 GPA where he was going to be a doctor.

His ‘21 season saw him make it all the way up to Triple-A where he played in just one game. Despite ending last season in Triple-A he’s currently in Double-A. It looks like a smart move as he’s currently struggling to the tune of a .222 AVG, with a total of 3 extra-base hits (one home run, double, and triple), with 10 RBIs, 9 steals, 15 walks, and 30 strikeouts. The expectation on Marlowe at the MLB level is anywhere from a low-end starter to a fourth or fifth outfielder. I’m putting my money on the former.

Then he wasn’t

Juan Then was once considered a high prospect in the Seattle Mariners farm system. From 2017-to 2019 he was putting up impressive numbers in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. This led to the M’s putting Then on their 40-man roster prior to the 2021 season. Since then, Then has struggled mightily. In 14 starts at Everett Then posted an ugly ERA of 6.46, a nauseating 1.60 WHIP, serving up 12 home runs in 54.1 innings, striking out 59, and walking 19. Then he topped those numbers in the Fall League, 12.46 ERA, 2.23 WHIP, 16 strikeouts over 13 innings, walking 9, and giving up 3 home runs.

He’s clearly not ready for the higher levels of the minor leagues or even the majors at this point. However, with him being on the 40-man roster the Seattle Mariners may feel some pressure to promote Then. His stuff is still intriguing but without significant improvement, it’s possible that’s all he will be.

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