Seattle Mariners Weekly Prospect Update 6/2/2022
Week five of our series on the top prospects in the Seattle Mariners system.
Time to check in again this week to highlight the good performances from the Seattle Mariners minor league ranks. This week we have a history-making pitcher, a hard-throwing arm from Modesto, and more.
History
I mentioned we had a history-making pitcher this week. It came from Juan Mercedes of the Everett Aquasox. Mercedes threw the first no-hitter in Sox this week against the Eugene Emeralds. In 7 innings, Mercedes fanned 10 with 2 walks. So far, he is only 2-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 41.2 innings (6 starts) across three different minor league levels. He started in Modesto and also made a stop in Tacoma.
Bringing the Heat
Bryce Miller is a pitcher to keep an eye on as we move forward this season. For now, he’s at Single-A, But don’t expect him to stay there long; this guy can bring triple-digit heat.
Through his first 9 starts this season, Miller struck out 59 in 47.1 innings pitched with only 15 walks to go along with his 1.52 ERA. Bryce sports a robust 0.95 WHIP, 12 K/9, and an 80.5 percent left on base rate. When opponents get on base, they get left there more than not. The former Texas A&M fireballer has the poise to pitch with runners on base and keep the scoring to a minimum.
Meep, Meep!
Outfielder Jonatan Clase is playing in essentially his first season stateside. At Modesto, he’s doing fairly well in the early going. Clase is a smaller player at 5-8, 150- pounds, but as you might expect, he has speed to burn.
So far, he is batting a .242/.379/.705 slash line with 6 doubles, 3 triples, and 3 home runs. Clase strikes out quite a bit (around 31 percent), but when he gets on base, he is definitely looking to swipe a bag. The diminutive speedster has 37 hits and18 stolen bases. The stolen base is a bit of a lost art these days, but speed on the base paths, especially late in the game, puts significant pressure on the opposing team.
Lots of Zeroes
Back to no-hitters, Mercedes was not the only Seattle Mariners minor leaguer to throw one this week. Connor Jones of the Double-A Arkansas Travelers also tossed a 7 inning no-no. In 2022, Jones is 2-3 with a 3.72 ERA in nine starts. He also has 48 strikeouts, 26 walks, and a 1.30 whip.
In addition to his no-no, Jones is on a big hot streak. Over his last 3 starts, he’s gone 22 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. Jones finished the month of May with a 0.68 ERA over 26.2 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts and 14 walks.
Moore 2.0?
Second base/outfield prospect Kaden Polcovich was the Seattle Mariners’ third round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. This season he is playing in Arkansas, and through 38 games, he is batting .231 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 15 runs batted in, and seven stolen bases. Maybe he can be a future Dylan Moore or, even better, Adam Frazier. I can see Kaden being a valuable piece to the big club in 2024 or early 2025.
There you have it, my top prospects that I wanted to highlight this week for either their recent performances or because I thought they hadn’t had the shine they might deserve yet. And so until next time, I will keep an eye out for the youngsters in the works coming up the ladder, so to speak. Have a great week, and GO M’s!!!!