Harry Ford's Mariners revenge tour will begin in the World Baseball Classic

As December rolled around last year, Harry Ford must have felt like he was on top of the world following a 2025 season which saw him continually reach new peaks. He dominated in Triple-A Tacoma, made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners and even got a hit in his one at-bat during the playoffs.

With Mitch Garver leaving the team after two mostly disappointing seasons, it was all set up for Ford to be the main backup catcher to Cal Raleigh in 2026 on a team with genuine World Series aspirations. Then it all fell apart for the a 22-year-old on Dec. 6, with the news he was being shipped off to the Washington Nationals as part of a return package which sent reliever José A. Ferrer to Seattle.

Harry Ford shocked by being traded to Washington

The news stunned Ford, who couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that he would no longer be a member of the Mariners, who had selected him 12th overall in the 2021 draft. At the time, as per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, he said:

"It hit me pretty hard. They called me, and I was OK. Then I was with my mom, and I was pretty sad just about all I've known as the Mariners and the relationships and the people that have been around there. It definitely hit hard knowing I’m not going to see them anymore, or consistently."

Harry Ford

Now though, with a couple of months to reflect and adjust, Ford has reset his mindset and seems more motivated than ever and looking forward to proving himself all over again in a new environment. As per Lacy Lusk of Baseball America (subscription required), he said:

"I love that I’m going to get a chance to fight for a spot on the team. I know the other catchers, so I’m really glad and excited to get to work with them as well. ... I’m excited to get on a team with them, be on a young team and just start from scratch. "

Harry Ford

In an ideal world, most people connected with the Mariners would prefer that Ford was still in Seattle, such was his talent and ceiling. However, objectively speaking the truth is that the Nationals are a better spot for him compared to the M's, with him having more of a chance to see playing time particularly as a catcher, which just wasn't going to happen much behind Raleigh.

Mariners could face pain and regret somewhere down the road

At the same time, it's still going to hurt the M's and their fans if Ford goes on to become a star in Washington, which is an entirely conceivable scenario. He was one of the top-rated prospects in the Mariners farm system and he is now better placed to develop at the Major League level with the Nationals.

Burning with a renewed desire to show just how good he is, Ford is going to get a nice onramp this spring by representing Great Britain in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. And this isn't his first rodeo at the event, as he raked back in 2023 with two home runs and a 1.246 OPS.

Then it will be onto the 2026 regular season, with Ford aiming to crush everything in his path and become an integral part of the Nationals, spurred on by how he became surplus to requirements in Seattle. Suffice it to say plenty of people will be watching with great interest, when the Mariners travel to Washington for a three-game series between June 12-14.