Seattle Mariners: Breaking the Status Quo Mentality of the Top 100 MLB Prospects
My 12-Year-Old is Bigger Than Him
Jonatan Clase, heard of him? Probably not, because he’s tiny (not really a good reason), young, and just started playing in the states. He’s 5’8” and weighs in at a whopping Dee Gordon (when soaking wet). Clase is lightning fast and did something in 2021 that is unheard of.
Although it was a small sample size, and he’s only 19, Clase successfully stole second base every time it was unoccupied in 2021. Every. Single. Time. Every time, just in case you missed it. He stole 16 bases without being caught in 49 at-bats. Over an entire season, this speedster could challenge the stolen base record, whatever that is for the minor leagues.
Mariners CF prospect Jonatan Clase's SB totals by game this year:
2
0
0
2
2
3
0
1
0
2
2
0
216 swipes, no CS.
⬇️
— Jason A. Churchill (@ProspectInsider) July 20, 2021
Not Han Solo, The Other One
Harry Ford is the M’s 2021 first round pick. There is plenty of debate about whether he will stay at catcher, but his bat was good in a small sample size at Rookie ball. Ford had 55 at-bats over 19 games and finished with a .291 average and .982 OPS. Should he be in the top 100? Probably. He’s only going to be 19-years-old, so his time is coming.
Mariners first-rounder Harry Ford hit his first pro home run in rookie-ball!
— Farm To Fame (@FarmToFame_) September 11, 2021
Not One, Not Two, but Nine, That’s Right!
The Seattle Mariners should have 9 Top 100 players by my count. In a world where clicks matter more than accuracy, it’s unfathomable that any team could have more prospects in the top 100 than the M’s. Especially with the track record that the Rays and Padres have had with their prospects as of late (outside of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wander Franco). Not that the Mariners are doing better, but they have an abundance of prospects.
There Might Have Been Ten
If His Double-A Number’s Weren’t Terrible There Would’ve Been Ten
In closing, the Seattle Mariners have a tremendous resource with their prospect capital. I didn’t even get into those close to the Top 100, like outfielder Zach DeLoach who didn’t perform up to his college numbers in his first pro season. Overall, the M’s future is bright and should be burning hot in 2022.
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Joe Swenson is quite snarky and often challenges the status-quo mentality when it comes to sports journalism. He’s also an award-winning playwright, screenplay writer, novelist, and the owner and operator of Broken Arts Entertainment.