Mariners insider highlights team's lofty expectations for Jose A. Ferrer

When it was initially announced that the Mariners would be trading away Harry Ford, the expectation was that the return package would be significant. After all, he had been one of the organization's top prospects since he was drafted in 2021.

However, after it was revealed that Seattle would not only be sending another prospect to the Nationals, but also that they'd receive a reliever with a career 4.36 ERA in return, it seemed to raise more questions than answers. Now that people have gotten a chance to take a closer look at what Jose A. Ferrer has to offer, it seems like the front office made the right move.

Jose A. Ferrer is being seen as one of the Mariners' most promising players in 2026

In a recent article by MLB.com, he was chosen as the Mariners' top breakout candidate for the 2026 season. He's a great example of a player whose upside can't be captured by his current ERA and Daniel Kramer likened him to a left-handed Matt Brash, further noting that Seattle has had their eye on him since 2019.

But what exactly does that comparison mean? At a high level, it likely means that both players will be high-leverage options that could set the table for Andrés Muñoz or even close out games themselves if needed. Intrinsically, it's probably more about the similarities between the two players' approaches to pitching.

Brash is primarily known for his slider, which he threw 60.6 percent of the time in 2025. It's one of the best sliders in the game and graded as high as 131 based on the FanGraphs Stuff+ model. It wasn't quite as lethal this year as it was in 2023 but along with his sinker, he's able to get a significant amount of lateral spread between his two most frequently thrown pitches.

Ferrer's arsenal flips the usage but still relies on a sinker/slider combination. The usage of his slider has steadily ticked upwards over his brief big league career, and he started to throw it more often towards the end of last season, especially to left-handed hitters.

The velocity on both pitches is exceptional, averaging 97.7 mph on his sinker and 89.7 mph on his slider, although it regularly reaches 92-93 mph. It doesn't move much but because he averages more than 18 inches of arm-side run on his sinker, it's a very tricky sequence for opposing hitters. His slider may actually be closer to a cutter but the characteristics of the offering have remained the same since 2024.

It was a well-known fact that acquiring more bullpen help was a priority for the club, especially after what transpired in the final game of the 2025 ALCS. Getting a southpaw that throws gas with a compelling arsenal and unique secondary offering may be the final piece of Seattle's pitching puzzle.

But before he ascends to elite status, Ferrer still has a few kinks to iron out. His whiff and strikeout rates are still about average and he's susceptible to giving up some hard contact, but if there's any team that's capable of getting him to where he needs to be, it's the Seattle Mariners.