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A+ Modesto Nuts
Unlike the other affiliates, I feel the Mariners best players for the High-A Modest Nuts are pretty straight forward. Offensively, their best and the most consistent player has been Luis Liberato. Liberato has been in the system for a long time and is repeating the level for the third time. But this time, things are clicking.
Liberato is currently slashing .301/.368/.548 with 7 home runs, 51 total bases, and 2 stolen bases. He has always had the tools and athleticism to be a legitimate prospect but for the first time since 2015, we are seeing the tools translate into production.
At 23-years-old, Liberato is a bit old for the league, but not by much. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners challenge him with a call up to AA relatively soon, assuming they can find the PAs to give him in Arkansas crowded lineup.
Offensive Player of the Month: Luis Liberato
As for the pitching side of things, this award is pretty simple to hand out too. But before I do, I want to call attention to a bullpen arm named Jake Haberer. He signed with Seattle last year from independent ball and is absolutely crushing the Cal League. His 23/5 K: BB ratio is fantastic and he has the stuff to be a high-leverage reliever in the future. Don’t be surprised if Haberer makes an appearance in Seattle in 2019.
But our pitcher of the month award goes to Ljay Newsome. A good example of how a player can completely change his profile, Newsome joined the Mariners organization as organizational depth. That is, he had a very small chance of making it to the big leagues, let alone sticking for a long time.
But after one off-season of work, Newsome’s fastball jumped for 87-89 MPH to 91-93 and has hit 95 on a few occasions. Newsome has used this newfound velocity to dominate the hitter-friendly Cal League, posting a 1.47 ERA in 36.2 IP. Most staggeringly, Newsome has racked up 54 strikeouts to just 4 walks in his 6 starts.
Newsome has been absolutely incredible thus far in 2019. To give the award to anybody else would be a slap in the face to him and our website as a whole.