Mariners prospects: MLB.com releases their top 100 prospects for 2021

MLB.com released their top 100 prospects heading into the 2021 season and 6 Mariners made their list. This is the same amount that made the MLB.com list for 2020 and the 6 players on this year’s list are the same 6 from last year’s list.

Where are the Mariners prospects in the rankings?

The highest-ranked Mariners prospect is Jarred Kelenic, who comes in at number 4 on the rankings. Kelenic was MLB.com’s number 9 prospect last year and moved up 5 spots in 2021. The only three players ahead of him are top prospect Wander Franco of the Rays (no surprise there), Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, and the Tigers 2020 first overall pick Spencer Torkelson.

Julio Rodriguez comes in at number 5 on the list, meaning that Seattle has the number 4 and number 5 prospects in baseball, and the top two outfield prospects in baseball. Kelenic and Rodriguez are the first duo to top the MLB.com rankings for the same position and be on the same team since MLB.com started making their prospect rankings in 2011. Outfielders that are ranked lower than the Mariners duo on the 2021 rankings include Cristian Pache of the Braves, Dylan Carlson of the Cardinals, and the Rays postseason standout Randy Arozarena.

The other four Mariners prospects that appeared on the rankings came in groups of two, with the first two that were close together being Seattle’s top pitching prospects. Emerson Hancock is ranked 31st and Logan Gilbert is ranked 33rd. Hancock, Seattle’s 2020 first-round pick, fell one spot as he was ranked 30th in last year’s rankings and Gilbert, Seattle’s 2018 first-round pick, gained two spots up from 35 on last year’s rankings.

The final two Mariners on the rankings are George Kirby and Taylor Trammell. Trammell fell all the way from 51st in 2020 to the final spot on the list at 100th for 2021. Kirby comes in at 92nd on the 2021 rankings up three spots from 95th in last year’s rankings. Listed out the Mariners in the top 100 looks like this.

4. Jarred Kelenic

5. Julio Rodriguez

31. Emerson Hancock

33. Logan Gilbert

92. George Kirby

100. Taylor Trammell

Notable Mariners who did not make the MLB.com top 100 are Noelvi Marte and Cal Raleigh. However, neither of them were on MLB.com’s 2020 rankings so it was expected that they would not make the top 100 this year. If the MLB made a top 150 I am positive that Marte would be somewhere in the 101-120 range and Raliegh might be able to make that list as well.