On Sunday afternoon, fans had a rare opportunity to see many of the top prospects in baseball take the field in the annual Futures Game. This special showcase of talent is designed to highlight some of the best young talent in the sport. The Seattle Mariners typically have a strong contingent of players involved, and this season was no different. The M’s were represented by SS Ketel Marte and RHP Edwin Diaz today in Cincinnati.
Ketel Marte hit leadoff and got the start at second base for the World squad. Marte did not disappoint the Mariners’ faithful. The 21-year-old middle infielder went 2 for 2 on the day with an RBI single. Marte is not known for his work with the leather, but he made a few nice plays this afternoon at second base. His only blemish was a failed stolen base attempt in the top of the 1st inning.
Marte is ranked by MLB.com as the Mariners’ 3rd best prospect. He has just returned from an extended stay on the disabled list, and he appears to have not missed a beat. Marte is hitting .343 with 2 home runs and 24 RBI’s across 51 games this season with the Tacoma Rainiers in AAA. The speedster has 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts in 2015. Marte is the shortstop of the future in Seattle, and he should get a chance to strut his stuff at Safeco Field this fall as a September call-up.
Edwin Diaz did not have the same experience in the Futures Game. Diaz was called on to pitch in the home half of the 3rd inning, and he got off to a great start. The 21-year-old entered the game with Kyle Schwarber on third base and 2 outs. Diaz sat down Richie Shaffer on 3 consecutive sliders to strand the Cubs top prospect 90 ft. from home.
However, Diaz struggled mightily in the 4th inning. He got the first man he faced to pop out, but Aaron Judge reached on a single. Josh Bell followed Judge’s single by depositing an Edwin Diaz fastball into the seats in right-center field. Diaz was chased from the game after Michael Conforto singled to right field.
Diaz is currently ranked by MLB.com as the Mariners’ 6th best minor leaguer overall, and top pitching prospect. He started the season with the M’s A+ affiliate in Bakersfield before earning the promotion to AA Jackson. Diaz dazzled in southern California, going 2-0 with a 1.70 ERA across 7 outings with the Blaze.
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Unfortunately, the 6’3 right-hander has not found the same success thus far in the Southern League. Diaz is 3-6 with a 4.69 ERA over the course of 55.2 innings pitched with the Generals. However, he has pitched much better as of late, and I expect fans will get their first glimpse of Diaz in a Mariners’ uniform during the 2016 season.
All in all, it was a fairly successful day for the Mariners’ youngsters. Obviously, Ketel Marte is much happier with his performance in the showcase than Edwin Diaz, but they both had good moments. This season has not gone according to plan for the Mariners. However, I think the future is bright in the Emerald City with Marte and Diaz both ascending quickly through the M’s system.
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