The best way to describe the Seattle Mariners farm system over the last several years is “top heavy”. Though fortunate enough to have three of baseball’s young, top end pitchers, Jack Zduriencik and his staff haven’t had much success with other prospects outside of that trifecta. That is, until recently. The Mariners have turned their focus to acquiring offensive firepower, spending their first three draft picks on offense in 2013 and ’14, as well as their first two picks in 2012. Mike Zunino is the only of those picks to reach the Majors so far, and he recently broke the Mariners home run record for catchers. The Mariners may have narrowly missed the playoffs, but they are certainly a club on the way up.
Pulling Into Harbor: Seattle Mariners Prospects Not Far Away
Recently Graduated: It goes without saying that Zunino, a 2012 first round draft pick out of Florida, has been a huge success both at the plate and behind it. Early returns on recent minor league grads Taijuan Walker and James Paxton have been extremely promising, especially for the latter. Paxton allowed 25 runs over 74 Major League innings (good for a 3.04 ERA) Mariners down the stretch. Those numbers would have looked far better if not for an eight-run meltdown against Toronto on September 22nd. Had he received more work at the top level this season, Paxton might even be a lead vote-getter for American League Rookie of the Year. Walker has been up and down all season between Triple-A Tacoma and Seattle due to injury and inconsistency. Oddly enough, Walker has looked far better at the Major League level than at the Minor League level, and he will be integral to the M’s future plans, should they decide to keep him. Looking again at the future of the offense, through 136 at bats in 2014, shortstop Chris Taylor earned his spot with the big league team with a .287 average and an impressive .347 on base percentage. His defense has stood out, as well. The only real disappointment from a recent promotion has been right fielder Stefen Romero, who has failed to cross the Mendoza Line. Even young infielder Nick Franklin was able to net Austin Jackson, a transaction that makes Franklin’s career with the Mariners a success. Seattle may not have a Rookie of the Year winner in 2014, but they are taking the right steps to putting together a young core at the Major League level.
On the Way: No discussion of the Mariner’s farm system takes place without some mention of recently drafted catcher/outfielder Alex Jackson. Drafted out of high school, Jackson was considered by many to be the top offensive player in the class. His bat is likely to carry him through the Mariner’s system quickly, though he has already transitioned away from catching duties. DJ Peterson, whom Seattle selected with their first pick in 2013, has a bat similar to Jackson’s, is a very projectable hitter and, like Jackson, should move through the system quickly. The Mariners drew serious ire for drafting a first baseman that early, and paying that much for one, though they have to like what they have seen so far. After Jackson and Peterson, the third big bat acquired by Seattle recently was Austin Wilson, an outfielder from Stanford that the Mariners selected 49th overall in 2013. Wilson is a high risk, high reward type, as he has the athleticism and power to be a middle of the order difference maker. What differentiates Wilson from Jackson, though, is that Wilson is very raw, whereas Jackson has a defined set of skills.
2015 Breakout: The Mariners have no shortage of top-end young pitchers, and expect Luiz Gohara to join that conversation next season. An 18-year-old lefty from Brazil, Gohara struggled in his first season with the Everett Aqua Sox, though he should be able to adapt during another season at Single-A. Jonathan Mayo describes Gohara’s arsenal as “…fastball that reaches up to 93-94 mph, and he has a good curveball to go along with it. He also throws a slider, which isn’t as good as his other breaking ball, and he shows a really good feel for a changeup”. He should feel more comfortable next season, and could provide the Mariners with a solid arm either in the bullpen or the rotation down the line.
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