The Seattle Mariners have a whopping seven of the top 100 prospects listed by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.com for 2025. All are position players, which is great news for the pitching-rich, offensively challenged team.
Are they ready to impact the team for 2025 in the AL West Division? It is unlikely any will make the Opening Day roster. By midseason, some could arrive and help Seattle challenge the favored Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Six of the Mariners’ Super 7 are under age 22, led by 19-year-old infielder Colt Emerson. He is ranked No. 20 overall. Cuban outfielder Lazaro Montes, 20, is at No. 42 and could provide the biggest boost if he suddenly becomes consistent in measuring up to his idol, Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez.
MESA, AZ: Lazaro Montes of the Seattle Mariners hits a single against the Oakland Athletics in a … More Spring Training game at Hohokam Stadium on March 12, 2024. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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Montes signed for $2.5 million at age 17 as an international free agent in 2022. The 6-foot-3 Dominican already has 53 doubles, 44 homers, 207 RBI and a .291 average in 243 games in the minors. A year ago in 117 games at Class A, he hit .288 with 21 homers, 105 RBI.
A lack of speed limits Montes to playing left or right field. Some scouts believe he could handle first base and likely will become a full-time DH in the mold of Hall of Famer David Ortiz. Montes has similar bat speed and launch angle proponents to Big Papi.
Wild About Harry
Catcher Harry Ford is the “old man” of the seven at 22. He got $4,366,500 to sign out of high school in 2021 as the 12th pick overall. He’s ranked No. 65 overall on Pipeline as — believe it or not — a base stealer with an exemplary batting eye and some power, too.
PHOENIX: Seattle Marinrers prospect Harry Ford of Team Great Britain is is given a crown and robe … More after hitting a home run in Game 5 of Pool C play against Team Colombia at Chase Field on March 13, 2023. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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At Double-A Arkansas in 2024, he had 35 steals, giving him 85 as a pro, In 2023, he drew 103 walks in 118 games with 15 homers in Class A.
Ford displays leadership, a must behind the plate. He needs work in other areas and may be moved to the outfield to get his right-handed bat to the bigs quicker.
Young Has Best Chance
Infielder Cole Young, 21, ranked No. 49 by Pipeline, probably will be the first prospect to arrive, The lefty hitter has shown good plate patience and contact skills since signing for $3.3 million as the 12th pick overall in 2021.
PEORIA, AZ: Cole Young of the Seattle Mariners bats during a minor league spring training game … More against the San Diego Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex on March 23, 2023. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
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He’s sure-handed at either second base or shortstop and combined with a great 13.3% walk rate to 15% strikeout rate puts him on a faster track than Emerson — for now.
Emerson is ranked higher after getting $3.8 million to sign as the 22nd overall pick in 2023. Also a lefty hitter, he has hit .290 in 94 pro games.
Three Others
Shortstop Felnin Celesten (No. 74 Pipeline), outfielder Jonny Farmelo (No. 96) and infielder Michael Arroyo (98) are in the horizon, too.
Switch-hitter Celestin got $4.7 million last year, then hit ,352 at age 18 in 32 games in the Arizona Complex League. He missed a lot of time with injuries. Scouts love his raw tools.
Farmelo, 20, got $3.2 million as the 31st overall choice in 2023. He tore up his knee last summer and probably won’t be back until July. Speed was his primary asset, All eyes will be on if he can still run well to go with good contact skills at bat.
Arroyo, 20, got $1.375 million to sign in 2022 out of Colombia. In 2024, he hit .285 with 23 homers, 89 RBI and 18 steals in Class A. MLB Pipeline compares him to former hit-first contact infielder Howie Kendrick. Arroyo has showed more pop, however, at an earlier age.
Mariners Now 0-For-47
Seattle has churned out elite players in the past. Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Ichiro Suzuki are in the Hall of Fame. Stars Alex Rodriguez, Felix Hernandez, Kyle Seager, Bret Boone and others came up through the farm system. None ever played in a World Series in a Mariners uniform.
SEATTLE: Edgar Martinez lines a single for the Seattle Mariners during the 1995 AL Playoffs at the … More Kingdome. The Mariners have made it to the post-season five times but never advanced to a World Series.
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That’s because Seattle is the only one of the current MLB teams to never get to a World Series. This will be their 48th season. The Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers (born as the Seattle Pilots), San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays have gotten that far, but not won a championship.
Here are the 30 current clubs and how long each took to get to the World Series. National League teams that played for a championship before the first World Series in 1903 are included. The number of years it took to gain a championship appearance and an actual championship are in parenthesis, followed by the franchise’s first season, first year in a championship series and first championship series won.
Boston Americans/Red Sox (3, 3) 1901, 1903, 1903
Arizona Diamondbacks (4, 4) 1998, 2001, 2001
St. Louis Browns/Cardinals (4, 5) 1882, 1885, 1886
Florida/Miami Marlins (5, 5) 1993 1997 1997
Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (5, 10) 1901, 1905, 1910
Brooklyn Bridegrooms/Grooms/Superbas/Robins/Dodgers/Los Angeles Dodgers (6, 72) 1884, 1889, 1955. The franchise needed five nicknames, two cities, two leagues and 10 trips to a World Series before winning it all in its’ 72nd season.
Chicago White Sox (6, 6) 1901, 1906, 1906
New York/San Francisco Giants (6, 6) 1883, 1888, 1888
Detroit Tigers (7, 35) 1901, 1907, 1935
New York Mets (8, 8) 1962, 1969, 1969
Chicago White Sox/Colts/Orphans/Cubs (10, 32) 1876, 1887, 1907
Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (12, never) 1997, 2008, never
Kansas City Royals (12, 17) 1969, 1980, 1985
Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers (14, never) 1969, 1982, never
Colorado Rockies (15, never) 1993, 2007, never
Toronto Blue Jays (16, 16) 1977, 1992, 1992
San Diego Padres (16, never) 1969, 1984, never
Boston Reds/Braves/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (17) 1876, 1892, 1892
ClevelandBlues/Naps/Indians/Guardians (20) 1901, 1920, 1920
Baltimore Orioles/New York Highlanders/Yankees (21) 1901, 1921, 1923
Allegheny City/Pittsburgh Pirates (22, 28) 1882, 1903, 1909
Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins (24) 1901, 1924, 1924
Philadelphia Phillies (33, 97) 1883, 1915, 1980. Yes, that’s right — 97 years before winning it all.
Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (38) 1882, 1919, 1919. The original Cincinnati Reds of 1876 were expelled from the National League in 1880 for selling beer on Sundays. The other seven teams abided by that league rule. The new American Association began in 1882 with Cincinnati, which finished first but there were no playoffs. The first time a Cincinnati club played in a postseason “world” series was in the NL in 1882. The franchise’s first title was in 1919, the year of the infamous Chicago Black Sox scandal.
Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels (42) 1961, 2002, 2002
Houston Colts 45s, Colts/Astros (44, 56) 1962, 2005, 2017
Milwaukee Brewers/ St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles (44, 66) 1901, 1944, 1966
Seattle Mariners (never, never) 1977, never, never
Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (50, 63) 1961, 2010, 2023
Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (51, 51) 1969, 2019, 2019
Seattle Mariners’ Prospects
The Seattle Mariners’ prospects for getting to the elusive World Series rest with their current crop of player prospects. Should this group develop as hoped to join stars Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo and others, it just may happen. The chances should improve after 2025.