Sodo Mojo’s Top 10 Mariners Prospects: #3 Braden Bishop

Now, after our month long countdown, we are finally here. We enter the Top 3 prospects in the Seattle Mariners farm system. Today, we discuss my personal favorite prospect, outfielder Braden Bishop.

Before we dive into what Bishop brings to the Mariners on the field, lets take a moment and praise him for his work off the field. Bishop works extensively to raise money and awareness for dementia and Alzheimer disease patients.

Founded during his days playing for the University of Washington, Bishop’s organization, 4MOM, to help his own mother fight this dreadful disease.  The foundation has currently found its way across many platforms, with pledges from players and fans for every result on the field.

Bishop himself has pledged $10 for every hit he gets in 2018, and other Mariners and players across the Major League Baseball landscape have joined in. You can do the same. Visit www.4momalz.com for more information.

Now, back to Bishop on the field. Drafted out of UW in the 3rd round of the 2015 draft, Bishop played well in his first stint in pro ball. He hit .320/.367/.393 in 56 games.

Entering 2016, Bishop was solid during his time in Clinton, but faltered mightily in hitters paradise Bakersfield. The lack of offense caused some pause, and Bishop was forced to repeat the level to start 2017.

Bishop made some adjustments to his swing, lowering his hand position, and focusing on hitting the ball in the air more. In 88 games in High-A Modesto, Bishop hit .296/.385/.400 before earning a promotion to AA Arkansas. After his promotion, Bishop exploded. He slashed .336/.417/.448 in 33 games.

The bat is not Braden Bishop’s carrying tool. In fact, it could be his weakest tool. Let’s take a lool.

Scouting Grades(20-80)- Hit: 50 Power: 35 Run: 65 Field: 65 Throw: 55 Overall: 55

Yes, Bishop’s best skill is his defense. He is a Gold Glove caliber center fielder, who is still growing as a hitter. Bishop also posses double plus speed, making him a threat on the basepaths. He will need to work on reading pitchers better and refining his technique, but Bishop can be a 30 -steal-guy the big leagues.

The bat remains the biggest question. If he can turn into a league average bat, he is a table setting, Gold Glove caliber CF. If not, he will still be a useful 4th outfielder. Basically, the question comes down to this: will he be Peter Bourjos or Kevin Pillar?

Next: Top 10 Mariners Prospects: #4 Sam Carlson

Both have been useful players in the big leagues, and I guarantee Bishop will be as well. His ceiling will ultimately be determined by his continued growth at the plate. But, I wouldn’t bet against him.