Mariners' overwhelming praise for top prospect doesn't bode well for Mitch Garver

As fan hype and media coverage begin to ramp up for former first-round pick Harry Ford, Mitch Garver's time with the Seattle Mariners might be coming to an end soon. With Ford heating up in Triple-A Tacoma, the recent wave of attention to the catching prospect is bad news for the veteran.

Simply put, Garver just has not hit well enough to justify his $24 million contract. After winning a World Series with the Texas Rangers in a 2023 season in which he also slugged .500, Mariners fans were hyped about the possibility of Garver serving as a full-time designated hitter and catcher in Seattle.

Instead, Garver has not found his footing in the Pacific Northwest. In his time in Seattle, he sports a .177 AVG, .293 OBP, and .322 SLG. He's hit 16 home runs and 19 doubles, driving in 61 runs.

Mitch Garver isn't doing nearly enough to hold off Harry Ford's arrival in Seattle

While 2024, a season in which Garver finished with an OPS+ of 85, was rough, 2025 has been even worse for the veteran backstop. His OPS+ has slipped to 72, and he has hit just one home run (against a position player, no less) in 38 games. Time is very clearly running out.

Enter Harry Ford, the Mariners' first-round pick from 2021. Ford earned the call-up to Triple-A Tacoma, where he has been hitting the ball extremely well. As he is slashing .317/.435/.470, with six home runs and seven doubles, Ford looks readier and readier for the big leagues every day. In May, he led the Pacific Coast League with a .411 AVG. Although the 22-year-old only has 43 games at Triple-A under his belt, it's likely he will join the Mariners at some point this season.

Daniel Kramer openly asked on MLB.com when Ford could make the jump to the Major Leagues, with Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto responding: “He has put himself in the discussion that when you need the help, he's the next guy in line."

Ford did play eight games in left field last year in Double-A Arkansas, leading fans to speculate if he could fill an outfield spot on the big league roster while the Mariners await the returns of Luke Raley and Victor Robles. However, that is unlikely to be the case, as Ford has played only catcher and DH in 2025.

Perhaps the biggest roadblock for Ford is Cal Raleigh, not Garver. Ford might be a better catcher than Garver already, but calling up the team's No. 5 prospect to spend most of his time on the bench feels like a potential roadblock in his development.

However, the Mariners might need to take a page out of the Dodgers' book. The Dodgers, despite having one of the top catchers in baseball (Will Smith) recently called up top prospect, catcher Dalton Rushing. They released their long-time backup Austin Barnes in favor of the rookie. They are taking his development slowly, but still letting him gain major league playing time.

The Atlanta Braves have employed a similar strategy, calling up catching prospect Drake Baldwin. Baldwin has worked in tandem with Sean Murphy, with both catchers also spending time at DH. If it's working for the Braves and Dodgers, could a similar strategy work in Seattle?

If Ford could catch twice a week and DH twice a week, while Raleigh caught four times a week and DH'd twice a week, the Mariners would have enough at-bats for both catchers. It would mean getting rid of Garver, while also taking away DH at-bats from Jorge Polanco. With both Garver and Polanco slumping, that might not be a bad thing.

Ultimately, Garver could still save his roster spot if he can string a few good games together. However, with Ford knocking on the door, it is becoming harder and harder to justify Garver's place on the team.