Seattle Mariners: 2022 Top 10 Under 25
3. George Kirby (24)
The Seattle Mariners used their 2019 first-round pick (20th overall) on Elon University right-hander George Kirby. With the talent he has, Kirby could reward the M’s by becoming a superstar. In 2019 for Elon and Everett (A), Kirby had 8 wins in 22 starts (8-2) with only 6 walks. That’s not a type-o; he had more wins than walks in 105.1 innings pitched. That’s an incredible accomplishment.
After spending 2020 at Seattle’s alternate site, he returned in 2021 to prove his earlier performance was no fluke. Kirby had a 1.08 WHIP for the entire season. It’s one thing to have pinpoint accuracy; it’s another to be an absolute flame thrower as his fastball often touches 100 MPH.
To add to his resume, Kirby finished 2021 with 80 strikeouts in 67.2 innings and gave up only 1 home run. The hope here is that he and the players listed above aren’t minor league legends; it’s that they will realize their potential and replicate these numbers in the Show.
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2. Noelvi Marte (20)
This Dominican native has burst onto the prospect scene in a huge way, garnering Top 20 prospect status in multiple publications. Noelvi Marte started in Low-A as a 19-year-old and nearly had a 20/20 season. Marte showed power (17 home runs), speed (24 steals), patience (60 walks), and a world of potential.
His glove still needs a lot of help. He made 30 errors in the Dominican Summer league in 2019 and combined for 30 errors last season between Modesto and Everett. Sixty errors in two seasons is a lot, and with former Gold Glove winner JP Crawford anchored down at shortstop, his chances to win the position in the next few seasons are slim. Marte might be better built for a move to third-base, similar to what Machado has done with the Padres.
Manny Machado is a good comparison for Marte. A size and power combo with a decent bat and good eye. Like Machado, he didn’t start to show off his potential until after he turned 20.
Coming up through Baltimore’s system at that time, Machado didn’t take off big time until 2015, when he was 22 years old. If the comp holds true, then Marte’s age 22 season could be spectacular, and that’s next season. 2022 is the year that we’ll see the M’s number two prospect continue to grow, possibly to Triple-A.