Colt Emerson is getting shown up by Mariners' most explosive prospect in spring

In an unusual twist for a team with World Series aspirations, it's the prospects who have been making headlines for the Seattle Mariners this spring. And while Colt Emerson is the guy fans crave the most, it's Jonny Farmelo who is making it hard to look away.

The fact that he's on the field at all is notable. Farmelo has spent a lot of time sidelined with injuries since the Mariners drafted him in 2023 — notably courtesy of Julio Rodríguez. Yet even with just 73 minor league games under his belt, he's still seen as a top-100 prospect with "perhaps the highest ceiling in the system," as FanGraphs put it.

So far this spring, Farmelo has basically treated the Mariners to a taste of his ceiling. Whereas Emerson has undercut his strong vibes with a .583 OPS in the Cactus League, Farmelo is at a .952 OPS with three extra-base hits in 16 at-bats.

The 21-year-old has yet to play above High-A, so it's important that everyone understand he's not a candidate to crack the Opening Day roster this year or, heck, maybe not even next year either. Even so, now is a good time to load up on Farmelo stock.

Jonny Farmelo is showing why he might be the most talented prospect in the Mariners system

It was notably after the Mariners chose Emerson at No. 22 that they took Farmelo with the No. 29 pick in the 2023 draft. He was a helium type out of Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia, with plus speed as his primary calling card.

Because Farmelo's speed was hypothetically at risk after he tore his ACL in June of 2024, it feels like a small miracle that it has not only survived, but may have improved since his return last summer.

What was initially a 60 grade for his speed is now a 70 grade for MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, and the thinking is that it will impact more than just his baserunning. He should be a go-and-get-it guy in center field, at least until the Mariners sense a collision course with Julio.

The real concern right now is the bat, specifically regarding how many holes it has in it. Though Farmelo hasn't struck out a ton in the minors, he's posted high swing-and-miss rates that have followed him into spring training. His 46.7 Whiff% is the highest on the team, and he co-leads with Cole Young (who has issues of his own) with seven strikeouts.

But if a guy is going to be a high-whiff hitter, the best way to save face is through both power and speed. Farmelo obviously has the latter and he's getting better with the former, and he's shown he can apply his exceptional bat speed in all directions with 100-plus mph lasers to each side of center field this spring.

What you want to see from a guy with this profile is sustained excellence, and certainly sooner rather than later. But until then, you gladly take flashes of what he can do. And that's exactly what the Mariners are getting from Farmelo this spring.