Mariners Top Prospect List: 10-6
Our top prospect list carries on with few young arms that could make an impact in Seattle in the near future.
10: A.J. Izzi (RHP)
The high school right hander has yet to make his debut in the Mariners system, so he is all projection for now. However, the tools are exciting for the young pitcher.
He is listed at 6-3 and just 165 pounds after the Mariners drafted him out of Oswego High School in Illinois this past summer. Signing with Seattle kept him away from Witchita State, which is a huge win for the Mariners.
Once Izzi fills out his frame the sky is the limit. He carries a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s and touches 97 MPH. He has a slider and a changeup that both need a lot of work, but that is why he will be perfect to develop in the Mariners system.
Seattle’s pitching development system has shown the ability to take players like this and turn them into gold, and there is no reason to believe they can’t do it again. There's an upside but it doesn’t come without the risk that he could be a reliever. He will be a fun one to watch in his professional debut season next year.
9: Lazaro Montes (OF)
Montes began his professional career in the DSL last summer and posted an OPS above 1.000. Next summer he will begin his career stateside with one of the highest upsides in the entire system.
Montes is a big kid at 6-3 and 210 pounds at just 18 years old. He has huge raw power from the left side that has drawn comparisons to Yordan Álvarez. Many scouts believe he can bash 30 homers as an everyday player in the major leagues, giving him massive upside as a prospect. This upside comes with a big risk as well.
He is already showing a propensity to swing and miss a lot which could be a problem as he moves stateside. There is also the risk that Montes could end up at first base eventually. For now, he runs well enough to stick in the outfield, but eventually his size and ability may make a move necessary.
The power and tools are tantalizing, so next season will be important. If he makes contact consistently enough he can be an impact big-league regular someday.
8: Taylor Dollard (RHP)
Dollard is one of the closest players to Seattle inside my top 10. The 23 year old was dominant at Arkansas last season, going 16-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 144 innings. He was given the Texas League Pitcher of the Year for his performance.
Dollard will turn 24 before next season and is expected to be on the doorstep to the big leagues. He projects as a number four starter with the potential to be a number three if he can get some more value out of his secondary pitches.
He has an average fastball that ranges from 89-93 with three average secondary pitches including two breaking balls and a changeup. He has some of the best command in the system, but doesn’t miss very many bats at all. If he can improve secondary pitches or get more value from his fastball he could raise his ceiling to a number three starter, but at this point he is a back end starter.
Dollard is MLB ready and has a relatively low ceiling with a high floor. He is going to be a valuable player that could help the Mariners or be valuable in a trade.
7: Michael Arroyo (3B)
The 18 year old infielder is a monster already, and will be heading to his stateside debut season in 2023. He will be 18 for the entirety of next season.
Arroyo is a shortstop currently but will likely have to move to the hot corner or possibly second base long-term. His body will likely change a lot so it is hard to project what position or what power level he could eventually get to.
For now, Arroyo projects as an above-average hitter that could have average to above-average power long term. He is a pure hitter and it will be exciting to watch his development moving forward. He reminds me of Gleyber Torres and could be that caliber of player if he develops.
6: Walter Ford (RHP)
Ford may be a bit high due to the fact that he hasn’t thrown a pitch in the system, but the 17 year old has insane projectability. He is a big tall kid with really good athleticism and a rocket for an arm. He also carries an 80 grade nickname as the “Vanilla Missile.”
He embodies this nickname with his electric fastball, and a slider that many scouts love. We don’t know a ton about him but he projects extremely well but will need to add a third pitch. Ford is interesting and electrifying, and just like many others on this list, we need to see him perform to fully buy-in and determine his ceiling.
This is really good!!