Mariners Prospect Spotlight: Brock Rodden

When it comes to middle infield talent, the Mariners have an abundance of riches. According to MLB Pipeline, Cole Young, Colt Emerson, Michael Arroyo, Felnin Celestin, Tai Peete, and Ryan Bliss all sit in the organization’s top 15 prospect list. Each player has age on their side, with Bliss being the oldest at 23 and Peete recently turned 18, the youngest middle infield prospect in the top 30. We are turning our spotlight for this week on another 23-year-old infielder who is making waves for the surging Modesto Nuts.

The Mariners picked Brock Rodden in the 5th round of this year’s draft on the heels of an impressive junior season. The 5’9’ shortstop has sneaky pop and showed that last season by authoring a tremendous .371/.474/1.175 slash line. Rodden had 37 extra-base hits, including 17 long balls, while offering double-digit steals (12). That performance propelled him to earn third-team All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball.

Rodden plays with an edge, which should endear Mariner fans who’ve come to love a player with a similar makeup, Jose Caballero. Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter joined Seattle Sports Morning Show, Brock, and Salk, and weighed in on the fifth-round pick and what stands out in his skillset. He noted that Rodden hits the ball hard and is a 70-grade runner on the traditional scouting scale. Another thing that stands out, is that he bet on himself, returning for his junior season after being drafted in the 10th-round a year earlier.

Twenty-four games into his first professional season, Rodden is leading off for a dynamic Modesto Nuts team on a hunt for a playoff berth. The results have been spectacular, as he’s slashed .306/.353/.825 with 14 extra-base hits atop the lineup. With the sheer amount of talent in the system, he probably makes his mark as a utility guy who can play around the diamond. Chance is, that’s probably okay with him, just as long he makes it to the big leagues.