Mariners Minors: Joseph Rosa – Second Baseman – Everett

Mariners Minors coming at you in the fourth part. While unsure how long this series will run, it’s hit it’s fourth article and we’re still rolling. Today we’ll feature the hot-hitting Joseph Rosa of the AquaSox.

Yes you read the headline correctly, he is not an outfielder. Crazy right. In all that depth, one of the best players for Everett right now is not stuck behind the logjam of talent the Mariners have at the higher levels of the farm. So let’s get down to it.

Background/Career with the Mariners

Joseph Rosa went undrafted and signed with the Mariners as an 18-year-old from New York. He took the field for the first time with the rookie league Mariners in 2015. He hit .310 in 69 games with 10 doubles and seven triples. He notched an OPS of .789 with 29 walks and 36 strikeouts.

If you haven’t picked up on the trend, solid plate discipline correlates to success in each of these Mariners Minors segments.

In Rosa’s 2016 campaign, He began with Bakersfield at High A where he hit .308 in 4 games, but then went back to rookie level and spent 43 games there. He hit .305 and posted similar numbers in the other categories to his first season at Rookie Level.

This year, he started the season at Tacoma, a large jump up from Rookie. He struggled, hitting just .071, collecting one hit in 14 At-bats. They sent him to Arkansas, where he hit .286. When Everett’s season began, he made the trip back to the PNW, and has torn it up there. He currently boasts a .356 average in 12 games. He’s already set a career high in homers with 3, he also has six doubles and a triple.

Next: Mariners Top Prospect Re-Rank: #10 Braden Bishop

Final Thoughts

Obviously at the moment, the second base position at the major league level is occupied, but that’s actually good for Rosa here. He’s not even close to MLB ready, but come several years down the line, we could be looking at a solid everyday player. Now obviously only time will tell if Rosa can reach that level of play, but for a 20-year-old, he’s not doing to shabby. Best of luck to him.