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Mariners 2022 Prospect Rankings: #13 Juan Pinto

By Christopher O'Day |
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 05: A general view of the MLB logo on the on-deck circle during the game between the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 05, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 05: A general view of the MLB logo on the on-deck circle during the game between the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 05, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

There are a lot of fun, young players in the Mariners farm system. I struggled with Juan Pinto the most on where to put him, but in the end, decided to put him and #14, Adam Macko, back to back. Young, unproven lefties. Great stuff, walk issues, but nasty potential. If it blossoms, the Mariners will end up with a great player.

Now, Juan Pinto is a lot further away than Adam Macko. He just turned 18 at the end of August and is getting his first full taste of pro ball. I give these guys a TON of slack because this would be his senior season if he would’ve been in the states. Instead, he is playing Dominican League Summer Ball, a couple of years younger than the average age of players in the league.

Juan Pinto comes in at #13 on the Mariners prospect list in large part to his stature and ceiling

Before we get into what he throws, we need to talk about how often he throws strikes. Pinto might have the worst control of any player in the Mariners system. Part of this could be getting used to a body that is maturing, as he is somewhere in the range of 6’4″ and 210 lbs. He walks nearly as many as he strikes out. He has gotten better after a rough first three outings (12 BB in 7.1 IP) but is still over 6 BB/9.

He’s already hitting 95, normally sitting in the low 90s. It’s a solid pitch, with the potential to tick up as he matures. It’s not his best pitch, and they likely sit in the average range next to his changeup. There’s a lot of unknown with how young and raw he is, but in the early work on his change, he has shown some flash and potential to turn it into an above-average pitch.

The highlight of his arsenal is his curveball. With a good feel for it, he commands it well, and it has a lot of break and depth. It’s already above average and has a solid shot at moving into that plus range in the 60/65 grade. He’s obviously not there yet, but his final teenage year in 2023 should show a lot, especially if he plays the entire year in the minor leagues.

  • Fastball – 50
  • Curveball – 55
  • Changeup – 50
  • Control – 35
  • Overall – 45

Next. What does Julio Rodriguez mean to the Seattle Mariners?. dark

I do like Juan Pinto a lot. The size and pitch repertoire makes you dream of what could be. Tall, Mid 90s, big curve, and a nice change to keep hitters off balance. If he can learn to throw strikes more consistently, don’t be surprised to see Pinto knock on the door for one of those spots in the 7-10 range next year.

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