Mariners are still aggressively hyping their biggest prospect question mark

For Mariners fans, the 2023 draft is best known for bringing Colt Emerson to the organization. He's one of the best prospects in baseball and is already bringing Rookie of the Year expectations with him. However, he's not the only first-round pick that the team had that year.

Because Julio Rodríguez won the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year award, the Mariners also received a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick, and with the 29th overall selection in the draft, they picked Jonny Farmelo out of Westfield High School in Virginia.

Farmelo was noted as a power-speed threat with potential to be an impactful bat in the middle of the order and had plenty of tools to impress Scott Hunter, Seattle's Director of Amateur Scouting. He put up solid numbers in his first minor league season, posting a 127 wRC+ before going down with a torn ACL in June. He made his return in 2025 and with a full offseason to get back to his top prospect form, it won't be long before he breaks out.

Scouts have high hopes for what Jonny Farmelo will accomplish in 2026

In a recent report by Baseball America detailing highlights from their monthly prospect reports for each organization, Matt Eddy discussed Farmelo's strong performance in the Arizona Fall League along with what the team hopes to see out of him in the near future. Across 101 plate appearances with the Peoria Javelinas in 2025, he slashed .234/.406/.442 with four doubles and 2 home runs. This was enough to get the organization excited about his potential once again.

"He’s going to be able to hit the ball on the ground and run and get to first and then steal a couple bases, get himself in scoring position. He’s also got the ability to drive the ball out of the park. Those guys are tough, and they’re also rare to find."

Justin Toole, Mariners Farm Director

Despite his injury history, Farmelo was still ranked Seattle's No. 6 prospect before the start of the 2025 season, a respectable place in a farm system stacked with talent. His road to the majors will undoubtedly be longer than Emerson's, but the Mariners are in no rush to call up their minor league outfield talent.

Even if Farmelo does break out, it'll be a few years before the outfield starts to open up. Randy Arozarena will hit free agency in 2027 and Víctor Robles could be on the roster until 2028 if his team option is exercised. Still, Lazaro Montes will be ahead of him in the pecking order and Michael Arroyo could be the second option as the Mariners begin to groom him for a new position.

But prospects can be valuable even if they never suit up for the big league team that drafted them. Like Harry Ford, a crowded system may make Farmelo more of a trade asset than a part of the team's on-field future. Either way, his success can only be good news for the Mariners and they're more than confident that he'll end up being worth the pick they used to draft him.