George Kirby, Arkansas Travelers, Seattle Mariners.
Seattle Mariners spring training is on. Of course, the minor leaguers have been in Peoria for over a week, but it does mean baseball is back. The Mariners have the number one farm system (according to Baseball America) because of the incredible depth throughout the organization, from Rookie Ball to Triple-A.
There are several prospects to watch during spring training, both at the big league and at the minor league levels. Despite recently trading away the organization’s top left-handed starting pitcher prospect, Brandon Williamson, plenty of talented arms are still in the pipeline. Not only talented arms but talented bats and gloves as well. Who will become the next household name?
The prospects you should already know
Julio Rodriguez has a chance to skip Triple-A Tacoma and break camp with the Mariners this spring. His numbers at Double-A Arkansas in 2021 were off-the-charts good.
Noelvi Marte, a potential transition to third base is in the works for him when newly acquired Eugenio Suarez doesn’t work out. Marte is unlikely to arrive in Seattle this year, but he’s among the Top-15 in nearly every prospect publication.
Emerson Hancock, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, has struggled with injuries. But when he pitches, his numbers are good. Hancock’s sample size is very small, as he registered just 44.2 innings in 2021 in 12 starts.
George Kirby is regarded as the top right-handed arm in the Seattle system and a Top-5 right-handed prospect in all of Major League Baseball. His appearance in the big-league rotation sometime in 2022 is all but locked in.
Matt Brash
Matt Brash will turn 24 in 2022, and the Canadian hurler should be known by any diehard Mariners fan or MLB prospect hounds. If you’re both, then you’re probably like, this dude belongs in the first prospect grouping. He has a 2.28 ERA in 19 starts with 142 strikeouts in 97.1 innings. The only thing that kept him from going deeper in games was a high walk rate. Brash could be an option for Seattle in 2022 but he most likely starts at AAA Tacoma.
Harry Ford
At the 2021 Draft, Harry Ford was taken with the 12th pick in the first round out of North Cobb HS in Kennesaw, Georgia. He made the top 100 MLB prospects after that. Ford played very well in 19 Rookie Ball games, where he batted .291 with a .982 OPS.
Only 19-years-old this season, he might be in for a position change this year. Originally selected as a catcher, that position might not be his meal-ticket to the big leagues. Expect Ford to make some noise this year.
Jonatan Clase
Jonatan Clase has one of the craziest stat-lines you’ll ever see. In 14 games at Rookie ball, the 19-year-old stole second base 100 percent of the time it wasn’t occupied. That is not a misprint. He’s an outfielder who compers to former Seattle Mariners fan favorite Dee Gordon.
He is smaller than Dee but has room to grow and might be faster than the former stolen base leade, plus Clase shows decent plate discipline. If he can add a bit of power, then he’s going to be dangerous and a household name.
Zach DeLoach
Zach DeLoach is another name Seattle Mariners fans will hear a lot of this summer. He destroyed pitching at High-A Everett and seemed like he would rapidly rise through the ranks. However, the 23-year-old stalled at Double-A Arkansas but still pulled out a .722 OPS and combined for a .841 OPS between the two stops.
He profiles as a high on-base percentage batter. Don’t be surprised if the second-round pick from Texas A&M starts the season at Double-A and makes a run towards the Big Leagues this season.
Juan Then
Juan Then was on the minds of many Seattle Mariners fans and prospect purveyors prior to the pandemic, and rightfully so. In 2019, Then posted solid numbers. Over 9 minor league starts, he managed a 2.98 ERA with 48 Ks in 48.1 innings. However, he took a step backward in 2022.
His problems worsened in the Arizona Fall League. Against some of the top prospects in the game, Then posted a 12.46 ERA in 13 innings. If the 22-year-old Dominican turns it around, we will get to know him better.
Alberto Rodriguez
Alberto Rodriguez was the PTBNL (Player to be Named Later) in the 2020 trade that sent Taijaun Walker to Toronto. In 93 games at Low-A Modesto last year, he performed really well. Especially impactful was his plate discipline, walking 51 times.
The outfield prospect batted .295 with a .867 OPS. He finished the season at High-A but should progress through the system with the expected promotions ahead of him.
Levi Stoudt
Levi Stoudt was the Seattle Mariners’ third-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft. He didn’t play in 2019, but the 24-year-old Lehigh University Mountain Hawks alumni started 15 games in 2021; boasting a 3.31 ERA and 86 Ks in 81.2 innings.
It was his promotion to Double-A that should bring Stoudt to the forefront of fans’ attention. In three starts at Arkansas, he went nearly 18 innings and struck out 19 while posting a modest 2.55 ERA.
Lazaro Montes
Lazaro Montes is the 17-year-old top international signing the Seattle Mariners made in January. The Cuban product was a top 10 international prospect that, at his young age, already stands at 6’5” and 200-pounds. Essentially he’s a lefty outfielder with more power potential than Julio Rodriguez. He’s only 17, but he should really take off in a more structured system.
Jose Aquino
This season, Jose Aquino will get his first taste of minor league baseball. The 20-year-old Dominican phenom will test his skills at the lower levels. Over 72.2 innings of Dominican Summer League ball, he has a 3.22 ERA with 92 K’s. The 6’3” flame-throwing lefty can hit 97 MPH on the radar gun but features decent control and a wipe-out slider.
Cade Marlowe
Cade Marlowe was drafted in the 20th round of the 2019 major league baseball draft, which is probably not the memorable part. The University of West Georgia product made stops at Modesto, and Everett then skipped Arkansas and played one game at Triple-A Tacoma. Skipped Double-A? That’s surprising, especially for a prospect in the Mariners organization.
He finished the season with 61 extra-base hits and a .935 OPS. He’s a little older at 25 but only has two minor league seasons under his belt. Marlowe is on the fast track. He should make an appearance in a Seattle Mariners uniform in the not-too-distant future.
Which Seattle Mariners prospects are you looking forward to seeing this spring? Let us know in the comments section below.