Taylor Trammell, Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Marshall Dunlap, via Flickr)
When it comes to prospects in their minor league system, the Seattle Mariners have an embarrassment of riches. The organization ranks fourth overall with six players Jarred Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez, Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, Evan White, and Taylor Trammell are among the top 60 prospects.
Evan White made his debut last summer. Although he only hit .176, White showed he was more than ready for the Majors. Maybe the best fielding first baseman on the Mariners since John Olerud, White took home the Gold Glove as a rookie. One player who recently graduated from the prospect list, Kyle Lewis, was the 2020 American League Rookie of the Year. When will the next young star make it to the Emerald City? Here are approximate arrival times for the Mariners’ top prospects.
Jarred Kelenic will finally make his long-awaited MLB debut in 2021. But he won’t be the first of the heralded Seattle Mariners prospect outfield trio to get his call to the show. Even if Kelenic has a great spring training, the M’s will keep him in the minors for service time manipulation.
All of this could look idiotic if Kelenic absolutely destroys spring training or the team goes the Evan White route with him. As a non-luxury tax team, the M’s will be smart with Kelenic and put off his future monster contract for as long as they can. Of course, if the Mariners are in contention for the playoffs late in the year, and Kelenic can help them get to the postseason, the situation could change.
The earliest J-Rod arrives in Seattle is 2022. The hairline fracture in his wrist he picked up in summer camp put a big dent in his development. Upon his recovery from the injury, Rodriguez hit for an acceptable .250 average in the Arizona Fall Instructional League.
His winter league performance was worse. Rodriguez slashed .196/.288/.217/.505 playing for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican League. A .505 OPS is not what the Seattle Mariners want to see from their second-ranked prospect. He’s still only 20-years-old, another full year in the minors will do him really well.
When the Stetson Hatter arrives, it will be in a BIG way. Logan Gilbert reminds me of Tyler Glasnow; big, long, and lanky (6-6, 250 pounds). His body type helps his stuff to be that much nastier. The difference between the two is Gilbert appears to have better control of his stuff than Glasnow. Gilbert probably doesn’t arrive in the majors very soon due to service time manipulation. Look for him in mid-to-late 2022.
The first of Seattle’s three prized outfielder prospects to reach the big leagues will be Taylor Trammell. I know, I know, I’m very skeptical about him. But Mariners manager Servais recently gave us some glowing reviews on Trammell. I’ll admit I’m buying into those reviews a little bit. Trammell is developing into the hitter and player the experts think he can be. Another reason Trammell makes it up first is that he’s the most experienced of the three.
George Kirby also gets the call to the big leagues in 2021. Only three starting pitchers, Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, and Justus Sheffield have secured places in the M’s rotation. There is an outside chance that Kirby could beat out Justin Dunn, Nick Margevicius, Chris Flexen, or Ljay Newsome in Spring Training for one of the other three spots. Mariners fans are more likely to see him up with the team toward the end of the season.
Among the other top Mariners prospects, catcher Cal Raleigh’s (8th, NR) arrival is a little harder to predict. Currently, he is blocked by Luis Torrens and Tom Murphy. The young backstop could get a look if the M’s have injury problems in 2021. More realistically, Raleigh competes for a roster spot at 2022 spring training.
It’s really too early to tell when 2020 first-round draft pick Emerson Hancock (3rd, 37th) could be MLB ready. The tools are there for him to be a top of the rotation pitcher. But he needs refinement and experience. He’ll get that plus good coaching with a few years to develop in the minor leagues
Shortstop Noelvi Marte (7th, NR) is another hot prospect. The 19-year-old also needs a few years of seasoning, his path to the Bigs is also undefined.
Are you looking forward to the next wave of Seattle Mariners stars? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.