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It appears the Seattle Mariners will not have a huge contingent in Cincinnati this July for the mid-Summer classic. However, Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the Futures Game on Tuesday, and a pair of M’s have cracked the list.
Mariners’ prospects Ketel Marte and Edwin Diaz will play for the World side in the annual Futures Game. The event is meant to showcase some of the most exciting young talent in baseball. Marte and Diaz certainly fit that description.
The Mariners have had a rough season in the Major Leagues in 2015, and their top prospects have been equally disappointing in the junior circuit. Alex Jackson and D.J. Peterson are ranked as the M’s top prospects according to MLB.com, but they have failed to live up to the hype. Jackson was demoted to short-season Single-A after hitting .157 in Single-A, and Peterson is hitting .207 in Double-A. Peterson represented the Mariners at last season’s Futures Game, but he did not warrant an invite this time around.
Thankfully, the Mariners’ 3rd best prospect has been incredible this season. Ketel Marte has torn up the Pacific Coast League with the Tacoma Rainiers. The 21-year-old shortstop is hitting .343 with 2 home runs, 24 RBI’s and 17 stolen bases across 51 games in 2015. Marte has posted a .394 on base percentage and slugged .434 this season. Marte played extensively this March with the big club in Peoria, but his defense was not up to snuff. He is not going to challenge for a Gold Glove anytime soon, but Marte has been slowly improving with the leather in Tacoma.
It remains unclear whether Marte will be able to participate in the game. He has been sidelined since the beginning of the month with an injured thumb. The initial prognosis was 4-6 weeks, which leaves him very little wiggle room for the July 12th game. Mariners’ fans enjoy debating the merits of Brad Miller and Chris Taylor, but Ketel Marte is likely to be the M’s starting shortstop by season’s end.
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Edwin Diaz entered the season as the Mariners’ 6th best prospect according to MLB.com, but he has pitched much better than that. Diaz started the year with the Bakersfield Blaze before earning the promotion to the Jackson Generals of the Southern League. The 21-year-old was electric with Bakersfield, posting a 2-0 record and registering a 1.70 ERA across 7 outings. Diaz had a 42:9 strikeout to walk ratio during 37.0 innings pitched.
Diaz struggled initially with Jackson, but has since steadied the ship. The talented right-hander has gone 2-4 with a 4.97 ERA across 7 outings. He has fanned 34 and walked 14 during 38.0 innings. Over his last 3 starts with the Generals, Diaz is 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA. The Puerto Rican product is on the fast track to the big leagues, and I expect him to be on the bump at Safeco Field during the 2016 season.
The Futures game will take place on July 12th at 12 pm PT from the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. MLB Network will carry the game nation wide, so make sure you tune in!
Next: Mariners Game Recap: Royals Topple M's in Series Finale