Mariner prospect makes history in Modesto

With a stable of young arms either in Seattle or on the way, the Mariners have switched their draft strategy to snagging high school position players with high-upside. They've drafted their top two prospects, Harry Ford and Cole Young, in consecutive years (2021, 2022). Director of Player Personnel Scott Hunter and his scouts targeted three more teens this year, each othering some intriguing offensive profiles.

Colt Emerson carries an elite hit tool (50 Grade), Johnny Farmelo is a well-rounded athlete with excellent speed (60 grade), and Tai Peete brings tremendous bat speed and positional flexibility. Diving into the latter, Peete came up as a shortstop. Still, he's handling the hot corner in Modesto due to a stacked roster that includes middle infield prospects Michael Arroyo, Brock Rodden, and fellow 2023 draftee Emerson.

He's making all the plays defensively at the hot corner, which could bode well for the position's future in Seattle. However, we're not here to talk about defense. The newly minted 18-year-old made history last night, fueling an epic eight-run comeback against San Jose, launching the first two homers of his young career. 

The Mariners' 10th-ranked prospect quickly adapted to the Arizona Complex League, and the stats show he's still locked in for the High A, Modesto Nuts. Peete's authored a stellar slash line (.362/.422/.974) across two levels and is anchoring the middle of a formidable Nuts lineup that's on the heels of California League North leaders, Fresno. 

The crazy thing is he just turned 18 a couple of weeks ago. The future is bright down on the farm, with teens like Tai Peete leading the charge from Modesto.