Seattle Mariners Top 30 Prospects: 25-21, Finally Some Bats

After the first group of 5 in our Seattle Mariners prospect ranks was heavy in the way of right-handed relief pitchers, today’s list is heavy on the offensive side of the game.

If you missed our first group of Mariners prospect ranks, numbers 30-26, you can check it out here. Also, if you need a refresher on our process, you can click here. As a reminder, there are a number of players who could easily slide into this portion of the list, and we listed a few of those prospects who fell just outside the Top 30 right here.

Just as a reminder, in addition to the profile we are giving, we will also be grading tools on the standard 20-80 scouting scale. 20 is well below-average and an 80-grade is Hall of Fame level. We also have a probability rating on a 1-5 scale. 1 is the riskiest type of prospect and a 5 is a sure-fire, MLB starter or reaches their ceiling. With that in mind, let’s get started.

25. Joe DeCarlo, Catcher

Joe DeCarlo has been in the Mariners organization for quite some time. The teams second round pick way back in 2012, DeCarlo was drafted as a prep third baseman. In 2017, Seattle moved DeCarlo to catcher after he was stagnated at third, and the move has made him a prospect worth watching.

The right-handed hitter has made strides as a defender and now may profile as an offense-first catcher. Since his move to catcher, DeCarlo has held steady at the plate, slashing .246/.339/.440 in AA Arkansas. He followed up his solid 2018 with a stint in the Arizona Fall League where he slashed .262/.418/.333.

The Mariners are believers that DeCarlo has a future as at least a backup catcher, and have invited him to Spring Training this year to compete for the backup spot. When drafted, DeCarlo was thought to be a 25 home run power bat. He never quite reached that level, but now, as a catcher, he won’t have to.

Scouting Grades- Hit: 45 Power:50 Run:50 Field: 45 Arm: 55 Probability: 2.5/5

24. Joey Curletta, 1B/DH

Coming in at number 24 is the right-handed power bat of Joey Curletta. Acquired by the Mariners on March 12, 2017, from the Philadelphia Phillies for Pat Venditte, Curletta is one of the more intriguing bats in the Mariners system.

After posting solid numbers in 2017, Curletta burst onto the scene in 2018. In 123 games in AA Arkansas, he slashed .283/.382/.482 with 23 home runs and 81 walks. He also cranked 24 doubles and added 94 RBI.

So why has Curletta fallen under the radar despite these numbers? His tools don’t make him out to be this good. But remember what we said in our first installment? Sometimes players outperform their tools.

That’s not to say that Curletta doesn’t have some faults. He is destined to be a first baseman or DH, severely limiting his value to a big league club. There are also concerns about his bat speed being able to handle big league pitching.

While the jump from AA to AAA won’t be much of a problem, there are legitimate concerns that the bat won’t be able to play against the best in the world. And since Curletta isn’t going to provide value in the field or on the basepaths, he needs to hit.

Listed at 6’4, 245 lbs, the Mariners believe the burly first baseman is worth taking a look at this spring. They protected him in the Rule 5 draft by adding him to the 40-man roster. The 24-year-old will be 25 in a few weeks and is slightly older than the average AA player.

Curletta could have an opportunity to show what he can do against big league arms during Spring Training and if he can show the bat speed necessary to do damage, he could become a serious prospect sooner than later.

Scouting Grades- Hit: 45 Power: 60 Arm: 50 Run: 45 Field: 40 Probability: 2/5

23. Anthony Jimenez, OF

Whenever you make one of these lists, there is a constant battle of results vs stats that play in your head. What is more important: upside or probability. We do our best to strike a happy balance between these two key factors. And the difference between our number 24 and 23 prospects is just that; upside vs probability.

Coming in at 23 in our countdown in Anthony Jimenez, a 5’11”, 175 lbs OF who has been in the Mariners organization since 2013. For Jimenez, his combination of tools is one of the most complete in the farm system.

He is a supreme athlete, having above-average or plus tools in run, field, and arm categories. And after spending his first 4 pro seasons of his pro career in rookie ball Jimenez finally got his chance in the states in 2017 and absolutely crushed it.

In 2017, he slashed .300/.361/.489 while spending most of his time in A-Ball. He added 7 home runs and 24 steals as well. Jimenez road his success to a promotion to start 2018 in High-A Modesto. Things went south in a hurry.

In Modesto, the 23-year-old outfielder slashed .262/.314/.377 in 105 games. The downturn put the brakes on the Jimenez hype train and now will need to repeat the level in 2019. There is still time for Jimenez to hit his ceiling, but at 23 in High-A, there isn’t an endless amount of leeway.

When right, Jimenez has good bat speed and can spray line drives all over the yard. At 23, the frame is basically tapped out, but there is still 10-12 home run power in the bat. With his skill set on the bases and in the field, Jiminez needs only be a serviceable bat to become a big league starter.

2019 will be a huge season. If he can get back to his 2017 level’s, Jimenez will be right in the conversation with the glut of outfield prospects currently ahead of him. If not, his time in the Mariners organization could be coming to an end.

Scouting Grades- Hit: 50 Power: 40 Run: 60 Arm: 55 Field: 55 Probability: 1.5

21. Ricardo Sanchez, LHP

To wrap up our second portion of our list, we have the newest Mariner on this list, Ricardo Sanchez. The Mariners acquired LHP Sanchez from the Atlanta Braves this off-season for cash after Sanchez was DFA’d. Interestingly enough, this is the second time Jerry Dipoto has acquired Sanchez, as he was the GM when Sanchez signed with the Angels as an international free agent in 2013.

At 5’11”, scouts have worried about Sanchez’s size and durability, but few doubt his raw stuff. His fastball can reach 94 mph while still maintaining good movement. His curveball flashes plus at times and has an excellent spin rate as well. Whether or not Sanchez can further develop his changeup remains to be seen, but the pitch is at least an average offering that flashes plus at times.

In order for Sanchez to prove that he can stick in a big league rotation, he will need to improve his command. He usually doesn’t struggle to throw strikes, but can lose his release point for short stretches and just doesn’t have the raw stuff to compensate.

Ultimately, Sanchez may end up going to the bullpen, where his stuff will play just fine. With a relatively high-floor as a middle relief option, he has a higher probability than some of our other prospects.

Sanchez is entering his age-22 season and will likely start the year in AA Arkansas rotation, giving him plenty of time to reach his potential ceiling as a middle of the rotation starter.

Scouting Grades- Fastball: 60 Curveball: 55 Changeup: 45 Command: 45 Probability: 3/5

Well, there you have it, the first ten names of our Top 30 Mariners prospects. In this first group of 10, there is a good mix of hitters and pitchers, as well as varying probability scores. By vastly improving the top of their farm system, the Mariners no longer “need” these type of prospects to pop.

Instead, they can take their time with these players development and give them their best chance of helping the major league club at some point in the future. As we inch closer to the top of the list, we will be covering more familiar names and are excited to continue to look at the vast improvement of the Mariners farm system in a single off-season.