The 2022 draft was a notable event for the Seattle Mariners. It was the year they drafted top prospects Cole Young and Tyler Locklear, the former of which has already found his way to the big leagues. While those names have been in the spotlight ever since they were selected, a name that was taken in the 19th round might be the next one to keep an eye on.
Curtis Washington Jr. was the 576th overall pick of the 2022 draft and had a signing bonus of just $50,000. After a few years at Arkansas, he played his only full season of college baseball at Purdue University where he slashed .314/.378/.373 over 250 plate appearances while playing center field.
He has become a fan favorite more for his vibrant personality than his numbers. The results of his first few minor league seasons were lukewarm at best, averaging a .593 OPS with Single-A Modesto. But in 2025, he seems to have figured something out this year with the Nuts.
Curtis Washington Jr. is having a surprise breakout for Modesto in 2025
Over his 211 plate appearances this year, he’s slashing .305/.370/.463 for a 133 wRC+. He hasn’t been hitting the ball out of the park much, still sitting at just three total home runs, but he already has 15 doubles and three triples to give his slugging percentage a much-needed boost.
Although we don’t have Statcast data for the lower levels of the minor leagues, we can see from his numbers that he doesn’t hit the ball very hard but his speed allows him to snag extra bases.
Curtis Washington Jr Inside-The-Park 2-run HR! pic.twitter.com/gAnDoWpHVe
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) June 18, 2025
Washington was such a late draft pick that it’s difficult to find a deeper scouting report on him. But given his current offensive performance in Single-A, it could warrant a return to High-A Everett, where he had seven plate appearances last year.
Given the terms of the Julio Rodríguez contract, it’s doubtful that Washington will ever get serious playing time (or any at all) with Seattle. Furthermore, he’s on the older side, especially for Single-A, at 25 years old.
However, a rise in his prospect stock and the ability to compete at the higher levels of the minor leagues could make him an intriguing trade piece in the near future. The front office has made it public that they plan to be aggressive at this year’s deadline, potentially striking a deal sooner rather than later, and there’s a chance Washington could end up as part of the deal. If not, his baseball career could continue through the Rule 5 draft or minor league free agency.
At the very least, he’ll continue to be an unexpected surprise on this year’s Modesto Nuts roster. It’s always good to see a player outperform their expectations, no matter how modest, and Curtis Washington Jr. has done just that.