Mariners Minor-League Roundup: Who’s Hot & Who’s Not

Tacoma Rainiers: 19-14, 1st place in Pacific Coast League Northern Division

Shawn O’Malley, UTL – Hot

The super-utility man is doing his thing in Tacoma, slashing .333/.424/.462 across 78 at bats in 2016. O’Malley has 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run and 13 RBI through 24 games with the Rainiers. As M’s fans know, the Kennewick, WA product is threat on the base paths, and he has tallied 5 stolen bases this season. O’Malley is going to earn a promotion to Seattle soon if he can keep it rolling.

James Paxton, LHP – Hot

The veteran southpaw failed to make the Mariners out of spring training, but he is not letting that setback affect his attitude in Tacoma. Paxton is currently 4-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 7 outings. He has won four consecutive decisions. Pax-Man has posted a 30:11 strikeout to walk ratio and allowed just 1.13 walks/hits per inning in 2016. He should get another chance in Seattle before long if he can continue baffling hitters in the PCL.

Stefen Romero, 1B/RF – Hot

Romero is putting up arguably the best numbers of any player in the PCL this season. The Oregon State alum is hitting .383 with 6 home runs and 26 RBI across 28 games with the Rainiers. He has registered a .424 on base percentage and slugged .654 through 107 at bats. Romero has posted a 10:8 strikeout to walk ratio so far in 2016. Dae-ho Lee is mashing and there isn’t an immediate path to Seattle for Romero at the moment. However, he is going to force his way back into the big leagues in the very near future.

Adrian Sampson, RHP – Hot

The Redmond, WA native has been the Rainiers most consistent hurler in 2016. Sampson has posted a record of 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA in 6 starts. He has struck out 33 and issued just 4 free passes in 36.1 innings pitched. Sampson has limited the opposition to a .257 batting average and 1.10 walks/hits per inning. Barring an injury in Seattle, Sampson is unlikely to make his Major League debut before August.

Mike Zunino, C – Hot

The M’s former everyday backstop continues to give PCL pitchers fits this season. Zunino is slashing .321/.371/.651 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI across 29 games. He has also added 8 doubles to his impressive stat line with Tacoma. Strikeouts were a massive problem for Z last season in Seattle, but he has only whiffed 21 times in 106 at bats in 2016. I think Jerry Dipoto will stay patient with Zunino, but he may force the Mariners’ hand if he keeps hitting.

Next: Jackson Generals

Jackson Generals: 19-12, 1st place in Southern League North Division

Tyler O’Neill, RF – Hot

The Langley, BC native is having a stellar season with the Generals, hitting .322 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI across 29 games. He has carried the offense, as nobody else on the team has more than 2 homers or 17 RBI. O’Neill has registered a .383 on base percentage and slugged .557 through 115 at bats. Strikeouts are the biggest concern with Tyler and he has definitely done a lot swinging and missing in 2016, striking out 33 times. Look for O’Neill to get his shot in Seattle during the 2017 season.

D.J. Peterson, 1B – Not

It’s fair to say no prospect in baseball has fallen faster than D.J. Peterson the past couple years. The former top prospect is slashing just .237/.307/.360 with 2 home runs and 16 RBI across 30 games. It’s hard to believe Peterson hit .297 with 31 homers during the 2014 season. I would not be surprised to see the University of New Mexico alum traded this season before he loses all value to other clubs.

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Edwin Diaz, RHP – Hot

It doesn’t matter whether he is a starter or a reliever, this hard throwing righty is hard to hit. Diaz is 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA through 7 appearances (6 starts) in 2016. He has struck out 40 and walked 5 across 30 innings. Dipoto recently announced that Diaz would shift the bullpen, and that could facilitate a call-up to Seattle this summer. His fastball/slider combo is deadly, and I think he could be an impact reliever for the Mariners in the future.

Leon Landry, CF – Hot

The 26-year-old center fielder spent the bulk of last season playing for the Rainiers, and he has outclassed the Southern League so far in 2016. Landry is hitting .291 with 1 homer and 15 RBI across 28 games. He also has 4 doubles, 3 triples and 2 stolen bases this season. Landry is likely to find himself back in Tacoma before long.

Dylan Unsworth, RHP – Hot

Unsworth has confused hitters in the Southern League all season, and he is currently 2-0 with a 1.30 ERA through his first 6 starts of the year. The South African right-hander has posted a 23:7 strikeout to walk ratio through 34.2 innings, and has held the opposition to just 1.21 walks/hits per inning. Unsworth is slightly undersized to be a starter in the big leagues, and a move to the bullpen may be in his future.

Next: Bakersfield Blaze

Bakersfield Blaze: 12-20, 4th place in California League North Division

Andrew Moore, RHP – Hot

It’s the same story ever week, Andrew Moore is making it look ridiculously easy in the hitter friendly California League. The Oregon State alum is 1-1 on the season with a 1.48 ERA through 7 starts with the Blaze. He has posted a 36:10 strikeout to walk ratio over 42.2 innings pitched. The young right-hander has limited the opposition to just 0.89 walks/hits per inning in 2016. Put simply, Moore cannot do much more to earn a promotion to Jackson.

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Drew Jackson, SS – Hot

The Stanford alum is quickly establishing himself as the Mariners’ top position player prospect. Jackson is slashing .301/.352/.398 with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 14 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 31 games. He has struck out 24 times and walked 9 times in 133 at bats. Jackson is a top of the order type of athlete, and he should advance quickly through the M’s system.

Tyler Herb, RHP – Hot

The former 29th round selection is making waves so far this season in Bakersfield, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.61 ERA through 6 starts. Herb has smoked the opposition, registering a 46:9 strikeout to walk ratio across 38 innings of work. Not much was expected of Tyler entering this season, but he is proving to be one of the more underrated pitching prospects in the M’s system.

Austin Wilson, RF – Not

Wilson has always been considered a bust, and 2016 has done little to disprove this reputation. The Stanford alum is slashing .173/.289/.279 through 104 at bats. He has homered twice and driven in 8 runs across 27 games. It’s not too late for Wilson to recapture his status as a midlevel prospect, but time is definitely running out.

Next: Clinton LumberKings

Clinton LumberKings: 20-12, 1st place in Midwest League Western Division

Braden Bishop, CF – Hot

The University of Washington alum is doing a solid job for Clinton this season. Bishop is slashing .282/.350/.336 through 110 at bats. He has 3 doubles, 1 home run and 11 RBI across 28 games. Bishop has also scored 18 times and swiped 5 bases. He is never going to be a power threat, but his ability to defend center field and his high contact rate suggests he could be calling Seattle home in the years to come.

Dalton Kelly, 1B – Hot

The Mariners have very few productive first basemen in their system, but Dalton Kelly has been the exception in 2016. He is hitting .363 with 1 home run and 11 RBI through 29 games with the LumberKings. Kelly has registered a .451 on base percentage and is slugging .478 through 113 at bats. Most impressive of all, Kelly has posted a 21:17 strikeout to walk ratio this season.

Kyle Wilcox, RHP – Not

The Mariners selected Wilcox during last June’s draft, and he has failed to impress thus far in 2016. He is currently 1-1 with a 6.92 ERA in 6 outings. Wilcox’s 26:25 strikeout to walk ratio obviously leaves plenty to be desired, as does his 1.88 WHIP. He is still young, and hopefully he is able to improve as the season progresses.

James Alfonso, C – Hot

The Mariners lack depth at the catcher position in the minor-leagues, and very few backstops are producing at the plate this season. However, James Alfonso is off to a great start in Clinton. The 24-year-old is slashing .308/.363/.410 with 5 doubles, 1 home run and 12 RBI across 20 games in 2016. Alfonso may not be considered a top prospect, but he will find himself in Bakersfield this summer if he continues to hit.

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Art Warren, RHP – Hot

Physically, Art Warren is somewhat similar to Taijuan Walker and the similarities extend to their stat sheets in 2016. Warren is 4-0 on the season with a 1.39 ERA through 6 starts with the LumberKings. He has fanned 25 and walked 10 across 32.1 innings of work. It’s becoming clear that Warren is the top young pitcher in Clinton’s rotation.