Sodo Mojo’s Top 40 Seattle Mariners Prospects: 20-16

Very few players in the Mariners system have the upside of Mr. Jose Siri. Very few prospects have the kind of downside as Siri. There is a wide range of outcomes from Siri, but the high-end of an everyday MLB centerfielder with 30/30 potential is too high to ignore.

That isn’t an exaggeration either. Siri has plus raw power and elite, 70-grade speed. He is also already an above-average centerfielder with the potential to challenge Braden Bishop as the best outfield glove in the organization. So what is keep Siri from potential stardom?

Well, simply put, Siri strikes out… a lot. In fact, he struck out 165 times in 517 PAs in 2019 while a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization. Though he swings and misses far too much to be an everyday player, Siri does actually post respectable walk rates, hovering around 8.5% each of the past two years.

Siri will need to make swing changes to avoid becoming Keon Broxton, as well as improve his plan of attack at the plate. He struggles to use the whole field and the outer half of the plate gives him fits, which is why a swing and gameplan change is needed to help him reach his potential.

If Siri maxes out, he could be Seattle’s version of Melvin Upton Jr., a 20 home run, 40 stolen base outfielder with solid defense in centerfield. If he stagnates, he should still see time in the big leagues as a 4th outfielder, thanks to his value defensively and off the bench late in games.

Siri should get an extended look in spring training and will likely start 2020 in AAA Tacoma. Siri is behind quite a few players on the Mariners depth chart but should make his debut in the second half of 2020 if he shows growth at the plate.

Players with an extreme range of outcomes are hard to predict but are exactly the type of players that Seattle should take a chance on. If he hits, you have a 3-5 win centerfielder. If he misses, you lose nothing.