3 Mariners prospects outside the top 10 who could rise in 2025

It is becoming more and more likely that the days of the Seattle Mariners offering a $240 million contract to the likes of a player like Robinson Cano are long gone. Heck, the same even goes for handing a proven slugger like Nelson Cruz nearly $60 million! This regime seems dead set on the newly coined "draft, develop and trade" model that mid-market teams use as a way to avoid larger contracts and build borderline playoff teams, all while maximizing profits.

It's a fairly risk averse model that allows ownership to continuously justify not offering the Santander's or Alonso's of the world any large dollar amounts (though Alonso's contract would hardly be prohibitive). To be successful, a team must be elite at identifying draft targets, developing talent and making solid trades, all things Seattle has actually done a fairly good job of.

Fans may clamor for ownership to spend money (like we were promised previously) to supplement this elite, young core, but that just doesn't seem like it is ever going to happen. Or, at least we'll have to wait another year.

Instead, Dipoto and his front office will need to continue to build and maintain an elite farm system by restocking it annually through timely trades and excellent drafts. The development of prospects is key, and this year we could see a few names outside the top 10 take some major steps forward in hopes of helping the major league squad in the near future.

3 Mariners prospects who could rise during the 2025 season

Tai Peete

When you are looking for someone to make a major rise in the prospect ranks, it's often not a bad idea to consider someone with some of the best athleticism in the league, with former high-end draft pedigree. Peete, a former 30th overall pick, is the highest ranked on this list according to MLB.com, checking in at No. 11.

Peete was part of a class that included Colt Emerson and Jonny Farmelo, but Peete might possess the highest ceiling of the trio. He will be just 19 for a majority of the 2025 season and is already physically mature at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds (and he still has room to build). Last year, the young left-handed hitting shortstop wasted no time displaying his athleticism.

In 2024 at Single-A Modesto, Peete slashed .269/.343/.408 with seven home runs and 45 stolen bases. His 30.7% strikeout rate might scare some people, but the youngster still has plenty of time to improve his ability to control the zone. His 10.4% walk rate shows that.

Peete's potential might be the highest in the system. Whether he reaches that ceiling or not might not get answered for another five or so years, but his development in 2025 could prove that he is well on his way to being a perennial All-Star.

Brandyn Garcia

Tell me if you have heard this story before: a college arm, with limited innings, is struggling to control walks, but has elite strikeout capability with a 6.00 ERA during his college days. That would be Bryan Woo, who threw just 69 1/3 innings over three college seasons and logged a 6.36 ERA, an 11.6 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. This looks like a struggling pitcher who dealt with a lot of injuries, yet the Mariners decided to select Woo in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

There is another pitcher, this time from the left side, that has a similar path to the Mariners as Woo. Brandy Garcia, an 11th-round selection by Seattle in the 2023 MLB Draft, struggled mightily in college. In four seasons, he threw 148 2/3 innings, good for a 5.93 ERA, 10.7 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9. Still, the Mariners saw enough potential in him to take him with one of their selections just a couple of years ago, and Garcia has rewarded the Mariners with his hard work.

Garcia has dramatically improved his ability to limit walks, with just a 3.6 BB/9 over 126 minor league innings. During that time, he made his way up to Double-A Arkansas and recorded a 2.21 ERA. A low, three-quarter arm slot leads to a heavy two-seamer that sits in the mid-90s, generating a ton of groundballs. A pair of above-average off-speed offerings (a slider and cutter) have contributed to his elite strikeout ability.

Doubts about his ability to limit walks have led to some suggesting a move to the bullpen might be in his future, but we have seen it before. If a pitcher is willing to put in the work, and can cut back on the walks, and maybe develop another off-speed pitch, someone like Garcia could become a solid back-end starting pitcher. 2025 could be a huge season with Garcia proving, at Double-A and Triple-A, that his improvements are sustainable.

Ashton Izzi

Some Mariners fans may not know who Ashton Izzie is just yet. Ranked No. 27 overall by MLB.com, he may not pop up on a lot of lists or showcase elite upside (yet) that has him shooting up rankings. However, Dipoto invested a lot into him, selecting the pitcher 126th overall (fourth round) and giving him an over-slot signing bonus of $1.1 million.

Out of high school, Izzi was raw, but possessed elite fastball velocity and a frame that had a lot of projection. At 6-foot-3 and just 165 pounds at draft time, there is a ton of room for Izzi to fill out. Still, just 20 years old, the former fourth-round pick already sits in the mid-90s, touching 97 with an average slider and changeup currently.

Izzi didn't pitch much after getting drafted, throwing just 18 1/3 innings. Don't pay attention to his 8.35 ERA or 13 strikeouts and eight walks during that time. His 2024 season saw some major strides forward. Throwing an impressive 110 2/3 innings, he dominated Modesto with a 2.85 ERA and 7.7 K/9. His walks (4.8 BB/9) are a little concerning and you might have hoped for more strikeouts, but that is common for young power pitchers.

The 2025 season could see Izzi at High-A Everett. It is a year that could see him take some major strides forward, further proving his ability to eat innings, hopefully with more command of the zone. If that's the case, don't be surprised if he shoots up the rankings and helps the M's replenish some of their lost pitching depth.