Mariners get AAA, AA all-stars

It’s currently four days until the American and National League teams for the 2o13 Summer Classic at Shea Stadium are released, and the Mariners have modest expectations. They should in theory get two all stars with Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez, but usually teams as bad as the M’s don’t get more than one player on the team.

Until then, there are some other all-stars in the organization to look over. The Pacific Coast League and the Southern League announced their teams today, and six Mariners appeared on the rosters. Carlos Peguero and Brian Moran will represent the Rainiers and Julio Morban, James Jones, Roenis Elias and Taijuan Walker made the cut from the Generals.

Peguero provides an interesting storyline for the Mariners, who are seriously deficient in the outfield. He has developed into more of a power hitter this year in T-town, and has 13 homers and 54 RBI. He’s only hitting .266, but has seven stolen bases. He’s an all-star, but he’s also a bit of a career minor leaguer.

Moran, a 2009 7th round pick by Seattle, has shined out of the Rainiers’ ‘pen this season. He’s made thirty appearances in 2013, and has a 2.41 ERA with four saves. His strength is his strikeout to walk ratio, which in 41 innings is an absurd 58 to 10. The Mariners have a lot of lefties in the bullpen right now, so Moran’s promotion any time soon looks unlikely.

Morban has been lighting it up in Jackson this year. His .308 batting average is what’s got him going to the all-star game, but he also has five home runs and 32 RBI. He’s definitely a singles hitter, but he has 14 doubles and three triples. He’s spent most of the season in right field, and will need to raise his OBP (just .360) to improve his chances of climbing up the ladder. Interestingly, he’s on the 40-man roster, so he might need to improve rather quickly.

Jones has pretty pedestrian numbers in 2013, nothing to blow a scout out of the water. He’s hitting .279/.339/.435 with five homers and 39 RBI. Jones makes his presence felt on the base paths though, as he’s stolen 20 bags this season. When Morban isn’t in right Jones is, and he plays all three outfield positions. Jones is another intriguing mid-level outfield prospect for the M’s.

Elias’ numbers aren’t necessarily jaw-dropping either. His best number is probably ERA, which sits at 2.96 through 15 starts. He’s only 4-7, and has only struck out 75 in 91 innings, which isn’t absurd either way. He also has 34 walks, which is pretty average. Elias has some big league potential, but he’s already 24.

Walker probably won’t play in the SL all-star game, considering he’s already in the PCL. He was dominant in Jackson with a 2.46 ERA and 96 strike outs in 84 innings. He graduated to AAA and has made two starts in Tacoma without allowing a run yet. He could be in Seattle in a couple weeks, and should be an incredible pro down the road.