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Mariners Minor League Review: Who’s Hot & Who’s Not
Jun 3, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Stefen Romero (7) hits a three run home run in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
It is always a good idea to keep a weather eye the youngsters who could soon call Seattle home. Today, we will take a closer look at how some the Mariners’ prospects have fared over the last couple weeks.
I will break down who is hot and who is not on the M’s AAA affiliate in Tacoma, AA affiliate in Jackson, A+ affiliate in Bakersfield and the A affiliate in Clinton.
The Mariners have been a massive disappointment this season, and currently sit in 4th place in the American League West. Changes are inevitable whenever a team is struggling like the M’s are right now, and some of the names in this slideshow may be starring in the Emerald City before long.
We will start things off by discussing who is standing out on the Tacoma Rainiers.
Next: Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers – AAA – 35-36, 2nd Place in PCL Northern Division
Hot – Shawn O’Malley – UTL
The Southridge, WA product is as hot as anyone in the Pacific Coast League right now. O’Malley is hitting .450 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 9 RBI’s and 2 stolen bases since June 12th. The 27-year-old is tearing it up this month for the Rainiers, hitting .367 with 3 home runs, 17 RBI’s and 4 stolen bases. O’Malley represents the heir apparent to Willie Bloomquist in Seattle. Considering Willie’s struggles in 2015, I think we we could see O’Malley at Safeco Field at some point this summer.
Hot – Stefen Romero – RF
Over the last 8 ballgames, the Oregon State alum is hitting .389 with 8 doubles, 1 home run and 8 RBI’s. Romero is hitting .325 this month with 11 doubles, 1 home run and 13 RBI’s across 80 at bats. Fans are calling for the promotion of Franklin Gutierrez, and while I agree he could be of use in Seattle, Romero has been getting the majority of starts this season in right field. I think Gutierrez will get the call sooner than Romero, but look for the 26-year-old to help out the M’s this September.
Hot – Jesus Montero – 1B
The 25-year-old slugger is mashing against AAA pitching in 2015. Montero is as hot as they come right now, hitting .351 with 2 home runs and 9 RBI’s over his last 8 ballgames. He has posted a .337 batting average with 5 home runs and 22 RBI’s in the month of June. Why the M’s gave up a valuable reliever and a top tier prospect for Mark Trumbo is beyond me. Simply put, Montero should be in the big leagues right now, and he deserves to take Trumbo’s spot.
Not – Justin Germano – SP
Justin Germano has appeared in the “hot” section for much of the season, but the clock appears to be striking midnight on this Cinderella story. The 32-year-old right-hander has been rejuvenated this season pitching in Tacoma, but he has struggled lately. Germano is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA across his last 2 outings. His 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio over his last 12 innings is underwhelming. I still think Germano is an intriguing option for the M’s this summer, but he will need to improve.
Hot – Forrest Snow – SP
Forrest Snow may not be a household name yet, but he has a chance to develop into a solid back of the rotation starter for the Mariners. The 26-year-old Seattle native is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last 2 starts. His 6:6 strikeout to walk ratio is not overly impressive, but the opposition is hitting just .159 against Snow across his last 13 innings. Snow is 5-4 this season, and he has posted a minuscule 2.48 ERA. These numbers are particularly impressive given the PCL’s reputation as a hitters paradise.
Next: Jackson Generals
Jun 18, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; California League right fielder Jabari Blash (6) during the home run derby of the California League vs Carolina League All Star Game at San Jose Municipal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jackson Generals – AA – 29-39, 5th Place in Southern League North Division
Hot – Jabari Blash – RF
Jabari Blash is one of the best power hitting prospects in the Mariners’ organization. The 25-year-old Virgin Islands product is hitting .357 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 5 RBI’s and 1 stolen base over his last 8 ballgames. He has shown incredible patience at the plate, working 5 free passes. Blash leads the Generals with 10 dingers on the season, and he will represent Jackson in the Southern League All Star Game.
Hot – Dario Pizzano – LF
The Columbia University grad has been a revelation this spring in Jackson, hitting .308 with 4 home runs and 33 RBI’s. Pizzano has been his typical productive self this week, hitting .368 with 1 home run and 5 RBI’s. The 24-year-old outfielder entered the season with little fan fare, but he appears to have a bright future with the M’s.
Not – D.J. Peterson – 1B
I keep hoping D.J. Peterson will turn it around, but his season is getting bleaker by the day. The 2013 1st round selection is hitting .200 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 0 home runs and 3 RBI’s over the last week. His .304 on base percentage is not bad, but he has been a terrible disappointment this season. The M’s number 2 ranked prospect is hitting a measly .207 on the season.
Hot – Edwin Diaz – SP
Edwin Diaz started the season in Bakersfield, but raced to Jackson after excelling in high A ball. Diaz struggeld immediately after the promotion, but has dazzled over his last 3 outings. The 21-year-old is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA since June 6th. The Puerto Rican born right-hander has fanned 18 hitters and walked 7 over his last 20.1 innings pitched. The future is bright for Diaz, and I expect to see him toe the rubber at Safeco within the next 24 months.
Next: Bakersfield Blaze
Bakersfield Blaze – A+ – 26-44, 5th Place in California League North Divison
Hot – Justin Seager – 1B
Kyle Seager‘s little brother has had a rough go of it in 2015, but he beginning to show signs of life at the plate. Baby Seags is hitting .381 with 1 double and 4 RBI’s over his last 7 games. He has struck out 5 times, and nursed 4 walks across his last 26 plate appearances. Seager is only hitting .219 this season, and has yet to hit a home run with Bakersfield. I would not classify him as an exciting prospect, but if he develops into half the player Kyle is, I would gladly take it.
Not – Nelson Ward – SS
The Georgia alum finds himself in the “not” category a week after being the standout performer for the Blaze. Ward is hitting just .212 with 0 home runs and 0 RBI’s over the last week. The 22-year-old has struck out 12 times and walked twice across his last 35 plate appearances. He remains someone to keep an eye on.
Hot – Austin Wilson – RF
Austin Wilson has had a miserable campaign in 2015, but he has played slightly better over the last week. The former 2nd round pick is hitting .235 with 2 doubles, 1 home run and 8 RBI’s since June 13th. Wilson has struck out 10 times and worked 3 free passes. The Stanford alum is on thin ice right now, but hopefully he is able to build on his recent success moving forward.
Next: Clinton LumberKings
Clinton LumberKings – A – 26-43, 6th Place in Midwest League Eastern Divison
Hot – Martin Peguero – 2B
Martin Peguero is en fuego over the last week. The 21-year-old middle infielder is hitting .440 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI’s and 2 stolen bases across his last 7 games. He does an excellent job making contact, as he has stuck out just 2 times in his last 28 plate appearances. 2015 has not been overly kind to Peguero, but he appears to be turning the corner with the LumberKings.
Hot – Tyler Herb – SP
The 23-year-old Coastal Carolina alum is doing a great job this season for Clinton, and the last week has been very impressive. Herb is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA over his last 2 outings. The right-hander has stuck out 11 and walked 3 over his last 12 innings. Opponents are hitting just .186 off Herb since June 14th. The M’s selected Herb in the 29th round of the 2014 draft, and it is safe to say that he is far exceeding expectations this season.
Not – Kristian Brito – 1B
The 20-year-old slugger is struggling mightily over his last 7 ballgames. Brito is hitting just .136 with 3 RBI’s and 1 stolen base since June 12th. His 6:4 strikeout to walk ratio is not bad, but he is generating very little power at the plate. Brito has not had an extra base hit since he went yard on May 28th. Hopefully he can turn things around during the second half of the season, because he has big time potential if he can be more consistent.
Hot – Arby Fields – CF
The speedy Rancho Cucamonga product is having a stellar season in 2015 with the LumberKings. Fields is slashing an impressive .385 with a triple, 3 RBI’s and 2 stolen bases over his last 8 ballgames. The 23-year-old switch-hitter has nursed 10 free passes during that stretch, and sports a .528 on base percentage. Fields is tried for the team lead with 12 steals in 2015. I think he will earn a promotion to Bakersfield during the summer.
Next: Everett AquaSox
Everett AquaSox – Short Season A – 4-1, 1st Place in Northwest League North Division
Hot – Ryan Uhl – 1B
The Mariners’ 7th round selection in the 2015 draft has had a hot start to his professional career. Through his first 3 games with the AquaSox, Uhl is hitting .545 with 2 RBI’s. The 6’6 first baseman is the recent recipient of the Tino Martinez Award, which is awarded annually to the nation’s top division II baseball player. Uhl is a player to keep an eye on, as the 22-year-old has big time pop.
Hot – Jordan Cowan – 3B
The Covington, WA product is tearing up the Northwest League so far in 2015. Cowan is hitting .368 with 1 home run and a team leading 7 RBI’s through his first 3 games. Cowan was drafted in the 37th round of the 2014 draft by the M’s, and he was briefly a member of the Jackson Generals this month. I don’t think he was quite ready for that level, but he is playing much better than expected right now with Everett.
Hot – Alex Jackson – RF
The Mariners’ top prospect has had rough campaign in 2015, but he appears to finally be finding his stroke in Everett. Jackson was awful with Clinton earlier this season, and he earned the demotion to the Northwest League. However, Jackson is hitting .319 with a double and an RBI across his first 5 games in Everett. Hopefully, the former 1st round pick is able to rebuild his confidence with a strong summer with the AquaSox.
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Not – Braden Bishop – CF
The M’s selected Bishop out of the University of Washington with their 3rd round selection in this year’s draft. Bishop was said to be a superb defender, who might have trouble hitting in pro ball. So far, this has been true. The 21-year-old is hitting just .133 with 1 RBI and a stolen base across his first 5 games. Bishop is a great kid, who has done a lot of work raising money for Alzheimer research. I am rooting for Bishop, and I think he has a great chance to be a big leaguer one day.
Hot – Luiz Gohara – SP
The Brazilian born southpaw has long been regarded as one of the top prospects in the Mariners’ system, and now M’s fans are getting the chance to see why. Gahara is 1-0 with 0.00 ERA after his first start in the Northwest League. The 18-year-old has struck out 9 and walked 3 across 6.0 innings pitched. Gahara has big league potential, and despite his young age, he could move quickly through the system in the coming years.
Next: Mariners Analysis: Who's Hot and Who's Not
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