Mariners Noelvi Marte makes a massive leap on the prospects list

As prospect lists were set to come out prior to the 2021 season, Mariners fans had a good inclination of who was going to be on the list. There was a young shortstop that many wanted to see on there, although he ended up missing most of them. Partway into the 2021 season, Noelvi Marte is showing that he deserved to be there all along.

Taking a look at how well Noelvi Marte has been playing this season, it’s easy to see why more people are taking notice of him. His stat line and makeup give further credence to those who were championing the youngster for a spot in the top 100 when lists made their debuts in the winter. He joins a list of multiple Mariners prospects who have been playing well so far this season.

Noelvi Marte has been crushing it in Modesto this season, earning that big jump.

Now, before you say something like “it’s just A ball and not even Everett”, I want to remind you of something incredibly important. Marte is just 19 years old, and a full two years below the average age of everyone else in A ball. That’s a stat that must be taken note of.

Through 139 plate appearances, Marte has been putting the ball into play and doing it multi-dimensionally. He has a slash line of .300/396/.492, highlighted by six home runs, five doubles, and 17 walks. That’s a wonderful combination of contact, power, and discipline.

Folks across multiple scouting sites have taken note. MLB.com jumped him into the top 100, moving him to 88th. Fangraphs jumped him up to 70th, but the one after that is quite crazy.

Baseball America moved him from 61st, which is already high, all the way to 19th. That’s an incredible jump… and it might just be warranted.

Look, succeeding at an early age, like Noelvi Marte is doing, isn’t easy by any stretch. He doesn’t turn 20 until October 16th, meaning he will be playing the entirety of this season as a 19-year-old. He’s on track to come up in the 2023 season, which means a lot of sites and scouts predict that he will be in the majors as a 21-year-old.

If you are factoring in future value to your rankings, it makes sense. He is a big body kid with a strong arm, and he might have to move out of short if he outgrows the position. The always incredible Jason Churchill over at Prospect Insider has him moving over to third, and the ceiling that he provides just so happens to be one of my favorite players of all-time, David Wright.

For those unfamiliar, or those that have forgotten, Wright was incredible, and one of the more underrated players in recent memory. Go look at his stats for a refresher, and you can see that while healthy, he was one of the best players in the game. He had a nine-year stretch of .302/.384/.505, averaging 36 2B, 23 HR, and 20 SB. Yes please.

It’s not even just Wright, as others have comped him to Matt Williams, Adrian Beltre, and Alex Bregman, all of which are mentioned in Jason’s breakdown.

Marte is showing great promise and power at such an early age, you could make the argument that he belongs in the long-term discussion with the pitching trio, Kelenic, and J-Rod as the best prospect on the team. Thanks to the folks at all the scouting sites above, Noelvi Marte is becoming more of a household name in prospect circles and should make Mariners fans feel a lot better about the future.