Seattle Mariners: Top Prospects Including Julio Rodriguez In The Low-Minors

The Seattle Mariners have several prospects I haven’t gotten to in the last few posts. They are in the low minors just starting out in most cases. They are either drafted last year or this year or they are international players.

Julio Rodriguez outfielder was the first player the Mariners signed during the 2017-18 international period. He signed on July 2, 2017; started play as 17 years old last year in his native Dominican in the summer league. Rodriguez rated the #6 prospect in the Mariners system right now.

This year, Rodriguez is hitting .302 playing in 42 games with six home runs at West Virginia. Very good for a player in his first professional season in the United States. He missed almost two months going on the injured list on April 12; Rodriguez returned to duty on June 10. He was out with a fracture to his left hand.

Julio Rodrigues has played almost two-thirds of games in right field while remaining in center field. He has a good throwing arm the Mariners expect him when he becomes a member of the team playing in right field most of the time.

He currently has six home runs with the first one he hit on June 14. Though most of his hits have been single expect doubles and home runs increase as he gets older and matures.

Sam Carlson right-handed starting pitcher # 8 prospect was drafted in the second round coming out of high school in 2017. He hasn’t played much professional ball in the Mariners farm system. Last July he had to go Tommy John surgery.

He currently is in Arizona; he could pitch a little there before the season ends but the Mariners won’t really see what he can do until next spring training. Depending on his progress we will see where he starts the season.

Carlson will turn 21 before next season so he still has plenty of time to make through the Mariners. We are hoping in three years he will be able to pitch in the major leagues.

#10 prospect is 17-year-old shortstop Noelvi Marte signed last year as an international player out of Dominican Republic. He is playing the summer league as a professional this year. Depending on how he does, he will probably be like Julio Rodriguez moving up to low-level A West Virginia.

Right now he is hitting .268 in 37 games with three home runs and 27 RBI’s. Staying at shortstop will depend on his growth along with the Mariner needs. He is likely at least four years away from Seattle.

Juan Then 19-year-old pitcher the Mariners reacquired from the New Yankees when traded Edwin Encarnacion. Then is the Mariners #10 prospect pitching right now with the Everett AquaSox. He has pitched in three games going 14 innings with an ERA of 3.21 with 16 strikeouts. He will probably start next season in either West Virginia or Modesto.

#18 prospect in the Mariners system is another 18-year-old shortstop in Juan Querecuto. He has an older brother Juniel who is playing triple a for Reno Aces in the Arizona Diamondback system.  The Mariners signed Querecuto on July 2, 2017, out of Venezuela as another international player.

He is currently playing in the Arizona rookie league. It is his second professional season as he played in Dominican Summer League where he hit .243 with a .313 on-base percentage. He only has played in 4 games in Arizona so won’t know how he will develop for the next couple years. He was considered one of the top international shortstops when the Mariners signed him.

#21 prospect left-handed starting pitcher Brayan Perez out of Venezuela signed as an international player in July 2017. Though Perez isn’t considered a hard thrower the Mariners felt he was mature for his age. Perez began his professional career last year in the Dominican Summer League. He pitched in 15 games including starting 10. He had an ERA of 3.57 with only 11 walks in 53 innings.

Perez began this year in the Arizona League. He started three games while appearing in seven games with an ERA of 2.94. He is now with the Everett AquaSox where he was sent on July 22. He will be facing hitters that are older than him. Depending on how Perez does in Everett will decide whether he starts next season in West Virginia or Modesto.

Nolan Hoffman right-handed reliever is a reliever the Mariners drafted in the fifth round in 2018. He is ranked 26 in the Mariner farm system. He pitched last year in the Arizona League before going to Everett.

This year Nolan Hoffman began the season at West Virginia. He went on the disabled list on May 6. Not sure when he will return. Hoffman showing before the injury he could be moving up the Mariners farm system real fast. He had an ERA of 1.08 in 9 games with four saves for West Virginia.

Keegan McGovern outfielder drafted last year in the 9th round is ranked at 27 as top prospects. He is known for his power at the plate but not well defensively so may play left field or first base. McGovern makes it to the major leagues he likely play those two positions along with DH.

McGovern last year played mostly at low-level A where he hit 15 home runs. He started again this year at low-level A before moving up to high level-A Modesto. He is hitting only .203 with 6 home runs in 33 games. Whether he moves up to double-A Arkansas next year will depend on how he does the rest of the season.

This is the list among the Mariners top 30 prospects who are playing or have in the low-level A West Virginia or the rookie leagues at Arizona or Everett or the Dominican Summer League for the young international players this year.

This year the Mariners signed 12 international players. It will be interesting to see where they end up among the Mariner top prospects along with the players the Mariners took in this year’s baseball draft of high school and college players.

Right now the nearest players to move up to the major league roster look to be coming from double-A Arkansas although the players at the low-levels could be with Mariners a year or two after them. Also, we may see those drafted and signed this year too. Sure gives us a bright look ahead over what we have seen the past decade or so. Go M’s.