Mariners prospect who fell off the radar in 2025 is suddenly dominating LIDOM

When the Mariners first snagged Felnin Celesten at the beginning of the 2023 MLB international signing period, there was plenty of excitement. He was ranked as the second or third-best overall international prospect and regarded as a potential five-tool player, so it was understandable why the M's were prepared to use $4.7 million of their near $6.37 million bonus pool to acquire him.

Since then, it's been one stumbling block after another for Celesten, not helped by injury issues including a hamstring strain and season-ending surgery last year on his left hamate. As a result, it's not surprising that his results have been up and down and lacking consistency, although the promise has still been there enough times to keep people enticed.

An up-and-down 2025 for Felnin Celesten

The 20-year-old batted .352 with a .999 OPS in 32 games in the Arizona Complex League last year prior to his season-ending surgery. Then this season proved to be a weird one for him in Single-A Modesto and after his call-up to High-A Everett, although the potential was there to be seen, as evidenced by a .981 OPS during July in Modesto and then hitting a home run during his High-A debut in his very first at-bat.

It's been an interesting time in general for Celesten, who was ranked fifth in the Mariners farm system in 2024, but has seen his stock fall this year with him now being ranked ninth by MLB Pipeline. Ninth is not a disaster for someone so young who has had to battle injuries, but so much more is still expected given the aforementioned five-tool talent.

As such, the way the switch-hitter has started the 2025 Dominican Professional Baseball League season offers must offer encouragement to the Mariners organization. Through four games, he has four hits, two home runs and six RBI, resulting in an extremely impressive 1.273 OPS.

Despite this, it's now important for Celesten to show he can continue to be this productive on a more consistent basis moving forward. Is this relatively new-found power here to stay? And perhaps most importantly, can he avoid further injuries continuing to compromise his development?

No one will ever deny the shortstop has intriguing potential which can take him to the top of the game, but this only matters for so long before he has to prove he's in a position to actually fulfil it. It certainly doesn't help when his falling stock is on a timeline which has also seen other Mariners in the farm system soar up the prospects rankings.

Which leads us to the question of if the Mariners should keep hold of Celesten and hope his stock rises again, or trade him? We would contend it's better to keep hold of him at least for now, but he'll surely be aware that Jerry Dipoto has a good track record of knowing when to cut bait with prospects he feels can no longer help the organization.