Mariners Spring Training Update: Brendan Donovan timeline, prospect ABs, crowd sizes

The games don't count yet, but the Seattle Mariners are finally playing actual baseball again. They began their Cactus League slate on Friday, and the storylines are already rolling in.

The Mariners beat San Diego on Friday and Cincinnati on Sunday, with the wins wrapped around a loss to San Francisco on Saturday. Yet even that one had an unexpected bright spot, with Miles Mastrobuoni (yes, that Miles Mastrobuoni) crushing the first grand slam of the spring. With no minor league options remaining, that can only help his quest to make the Opening Day roster.

There's otherwise plenty else to talk about after the first proper weekend of spring training games, including who hasn't suited up for a game yet.

Mariners Spring Training Update: Still waiting on Brendan Donovan's debut

Brendan Donovan and Rob Refsnyder are the new toys on the offensive side for the Mariners, and the buzz around the former has been palpable. He seems destined to become a fan favorite in Seattle, if he isn't already.

It's a bit odd, then, that neither Donovan nor Refsnyder has seen Cactus League action yet. Manager Dan Wilson spoke on that over the weekend with the Refuse to Lose podcast, indicating their spring training debuts would come in the "next few days."

Lo and behold, Refsnyder is in the starting lineup for Monday's exhibition against the Los Angeles Dodgers. There's still no sign of Donovan, however.

Perhaps he'll be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox. If not, the Mariners might start getting questions about what's really going on with their All-Star utility man.

Mariners Spring Training Update: Impressive at-bats by Jonny Farmelo and Lazaro Montes

There have been a lot of prospect-related headlines this spring for the Mariners. And while most have concerned the impressive bullpens and live batting practices thrown by Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, Jonny Farmelo and Lazaro Montes both had moments in actual games over the weekend.

In the ninth inning of Sunday's 14-8 win over the Reds, Farmelo drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double. It was an impressive piece of hitting, as he went with a low-and-away sinker and drove it 106 mph to the opposite field.

“They talk about our depth in the minor leagues, and you’re getting a chance to see it here," said Wilson, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. "Just the great (at-bats), and that was a good one for Farmelo, being able to drive the ball hard in that situation.”

Not to be overlooked is how Montes picked up his fifth-inning single in Friday's 7-4 win over the Padres. He went up against Mason Miller, and had to survive by taking a 101.5 mph fastball for ball three and then fouling off 101.2 mph to keep the count full. He then jumped on a mistake slider for a bloop to right field.

Montes and Farmelo are ranked by MLB Pipeline as the league's No. 43 and No. 78 prospects, respectively. Montes could make the majors as soon as this year, while Farmelo is likely more on a 2028 timeline after missing much of 2024 and 2025 with injuries.

Mariners Spring Training Update: Huge crowds capture buzz for the 2026 season

Even if it all ended in heartbreak, the Mariners made believers out of Seattle by making it closer to the World Series than ever before in 2025. And if spring training is any indication, even more fans might be coming out of the woodwork.

As noted by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, a crowd of 1,800 showed up just to watch the Mariners run drills last Thursday. Another 1,500 saw them work out ahead of their Cactus League opener, which was attended by 9,956 fans at Peoria Sports Complex. It's a record for a Mariners spring training opener.

Heck, Mariners fans even showed up in big numbers for Kade Anderson's live batting practice on Sunday. And when it was over, Divish noted that the fans in attendance gave the league's No. 21 prospect a loud ovation.

So, be careful out there. There's clearly a case of Mariners fever going around. If you catch it, you might also get hooked.