5 breakout prospect candidates we can't wait to see at Mariners spring training

Welcome to the most exciting spring training the Seattle Mariners have had in a long time. It will offer the first glimpse of a 2026 club that has its sights set on the World Series, at least until the World Baseball Classic comes calling for a whopping 16 players.

Either way, not to be overlooked is that the spring season will offer up-close looks at some of the Mariners' best prospects.

We already know what some of them are all about. Colt Emerson is so talented and so mature that he'll be battling for a starting job on the infield. Lazaro Montes had his breakout spring last year. Ryan Sloan is far from the majors, but he was so good in the minors last year that has skyrocketed up prospect rankings.

To some extent or another, though, all the other prospects in camp with the big club will have something to prove. It's worth taking a look at five players who fit the description more than others.

5 breakout prospects we're excited to see with the Mariners during spring training

LHP Kade Anderson

Though Anderson has been with the Mariners since they drafted him third overall in the 2025 draft, nobody had seen him throw a pitch in Seattle threads until Wednesday. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times was kind enough to film some footage:

The hype for Anderson coming into spring training might, if anything, be a little too strong. He is being billed as a candidate to debut in Seattle sooner rather than later, which is a lot of pressure to put on a guy who was tasked with bulking up before he was tasked with throwing pro pitches.

That said, nobody around here is upset with the Max Fried comparisons. And if Anderson lives up to those this spring, an aggressive ETA will begin to make more sense.

OF Jonny Farmelo

Farmelo is likewise a first-round draft pick who is still trying to prove himself, though the difference with him is that the Mariners chose him back in 2023. He's lost a lot of time to injuries as a pro, including with a torn ACL in 2024 and with a rib injury in 2025.

But if Mariners fans need a little something to whet their Farmelo appetites, a team source described his tools as "huge" to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. And with Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena set to partake in the World Baseball Classic, there should be plentiful chances for Farmelo to show off his tools in the next few weeks.

C Luke Stevenson

Stevenson was the Mariners' other pick in the first round last year, landing with them at No. 35 overall. He immediately made an impression with Single-A Modesto, posting a .460 OBP and showing impressive defensive chops in 22 games.

Stevenson isn't yet a top-100 prospect, but Keith Law of The Athletic thinks he could be next year. He already gets plus grades for his arm strength and power, and he's a disciplined hitter to boot. With Cal Raleigh also participating in the World Baseball Classic, all those skills are about to get a closeup.

RHP Tyler Cleveland

Cleveland will be in camp with the Mariners fresh off the best year of his pro career. He posted a 0.87 ERA in 41 appearances with High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas, and then had a run of note in the Arizona Fall League. As such, one might say he's already broken out.

The catch, though, is that Cleveland is a 26-year-old with an extreme submarine throwing style that would make even Tyler Rogers blush. This spring is his chance to prove he's more than just an oddity, and the only way he can do that is by going out there and making major league hitters look like they don't know what just hit them.

OF Victor Labrada

Labrada has been in the Mariners system for what feels like forever at this point. And he seemingly is what he is, with Baseball America tabbing him as a future fourth outfielder and pinch runner. Useful, but not much more than that.

But then again, here he is at Driveline hitting absolute nukes:

Hitting in a cage and hitting in real life are two different things, but Labrada was better at the latter in 2025 than some might realize. He had a .403 OBP with barely more strikeouts than walks, so any power he adds to his game can only heighten his likelihood of opening eyes this spring.