Sea Level's top 20 prospects for the Seattle Mariners

After spending the better part of a week in Peoria I finally have my top 20 prospects together.

After spending the better part of a week in Peoria I finally have my top 20 prospects together. I tried to get as much information on the guys while down in Peoria, as well as relying on my own eyes.

If you get a chance to check these guys out in 2024 in Modesto, Tacoma, or anywhere in between I recommend it! Enjoy, and feel free to drop your top 20 in the comments.

Honorable Mentions: Blake Hunt, Taylor Dollard, Walter Ford, Levi Stoudt, Spencer Packard, Alberto Rodriguez

20 A. Brody Hopkins (RHP)

Don’t look at his college stats, but Hopkins is a pitching coach’s dream. I was told Hopkins is the second-best athlete in the entire system, and I believe it. A two way player in college, the 22-year-old will be a pitcher for Seattle. Hopkins hasn’t thrown a ton in his life, but the fastball could touch 100 MPH with an electric slider. 

He is very interesting and could be a fast mover if they start him in the bullpen, although I have a feeling they will give him a chance to start when he makes his professional debut.

20 B. Samad Taylor (UTL)

Perhaps no player has caught my eye as often as Samad Taylor so far in camp. He is small in stature but possesses some loud tools and a propensity to make plays. He reminds me a ton of utility player Sam Haggerty, but Taylor may have more power and ability to play a true center field.

I like his ability to be a quality big-league utility player who can hit left-handed pitching, and a swing change could allow him to be more.

19. Carlos Vargas (RHP)

Vargas is an interesting project for Seattle, one that has a chance to make the 26-man roster coming out of camp. He is 6-4 and 210 pounds, with an electric arm. Acquired in the Eugenio Suarez trade, Vargas is exactly the type of player the Mariners pitching development staff loves to acquire. 

He has filthy offerings with plus velocity to pair. A sinker, slider, and cutter repertoire is effective if he can control it. In his first outing of the spring, he looked great, leaning on his slider to throw for a strike and rushing his fastball into the upper 90s. In his second outing, he looked to be aiming the fastball and struggled with control, hitting two Padres batters and allowing two runs. 

Vargas could be a high-leverage reliever if he can throw strikes, but that’s a big question mark.

18. Ben Williamson (3B)

Ben Williamson is one of the biggest sleepers on this list for me. The former William & Mary third baseman was a surprise selection in the second round of last years draft for Seattle, a move that was considered a money saver by many. 

I have heard great things from people in the organization about Williamson and his potential on both sides of the ball. A swing change and success in Cape Cod have many optimistic he can add some offense to a tremendous defensive profile at third base. I think Williamson is going to surprise many and make a push closer to my top 10 by the season’s end.

Check out my interview with Ben here.

17. Cade Marlowe (OF)

Cade Marlowe is one of my favorite players in the entire system. A left-handed hitting outfielder with power and speed, Marlowe has a chance to earn a spot on the Mariners 26-man roster this spring. 

A college draftee out of a small school in Georgia, Marlowe has crushed all levels of the minor leagues with his speed and power combination. He even had success at the big league level for a few weeks last season before falling into a slump and losing his place on the roster. I think Marlowe has a solid chance to be an important player for the 2024 Mariners, and has a chance to be on the strong side of a platoon or more if he can continue to refine the adjustments he made in Tacoma in 2023.

Check out my story on Cade here.

16. Teddy McGraw (RHP)

Teddy McGraw is one of the most interesting players on this list. At the end of his freshman year, McGraw went to Cape Cod searching for answers. His four-seam fastball had gotten crushed the year before, prompting him to test out a two-seam at the Cape. The pitch took off, collecting nearly 20 inches of run at times, making it a true bat-missing and bat-breaking pitch.

Implementing the sinker/two-seam made his four-seam much more effective, using both mid-90s offerings on different planes of the strike zone. The two-seam is much more consistent, but the ability to throw four-seamers at the top of the zone is a big deal.

McGraw also throws a slider that has been over 3,000 RPMs and comfortably sits around 2800. His fourth pitch is a changeup which has shown upside and a good feel for. This gives him four average to above-average offerings, especially impressive for an electric arm.

Standing at 6-3, McGraw has a decent enough frame, although he is smaller than some of his teammates who were drafted. Durability is the only concern here, and with better health, there is a good chance he heard his name called early on day 1.

The right-hander went under the knife during his senior year of high school, and also after just .2 innings of this last season at Wake. Both injuries had to do with the UCL although there is some disagreement on whether the second surgery was a clean-up or Tommy John. We should see him make his professional debut at some point this year, though it will be interesting to see if he is a starter or a reliever.

15. Dawel Joseph (SS/CF)

Dawel Joseph was the Mariners’ top signee in the 2024 International signing class, so his placement on here is admittedly a bit of a guess. He is just 16 years old and has a chance to stick up the middle, even at shortstop or in center field. 

He has a simple frame and is supposedly a plus defender, and has drawn body comparisons to Byron Buxton. Joseph is still very far away from the major leagues and even playing stateside. 

14. Jonatan Clase (OF)

Clase is a tough evaluation in some ways because he is still just 21 years old, so the profile still has time to develop in a meaningful way. A very hard worker, he has put on some serious strength to his frame.

Clase is listed at 5 foot 9 and 150 pounds, but the latter is outdated. Seeing him at spring training, he has filled out his frame impressively. He has legit 70-grade speed which allows him to steal bases and track balls down in the outfield, although he isn’t a tactician in either facet. He struggles with routes and jumps, and I have some doubts about him being able to play an MLB-caliber centerfield. 

Clase is a switch hitter with average on-base skills and pretty decent pop, popping 20 home runs in 2023. He strikes out too much to profile as an everyday player at this point, but he still has some time to adjust to the upper levels of the minors.

13. Jeter Martinez (RHP)

Jeter Martinez has an 80-grade name and also ranks as my top pitching prospect in Seattle’s system. He has an electric fastball/slider combination and is still pretty young to pitching, while also being just 17 years old. 

Martinez is a ball of clay but has turned some serious heads already. It will be interesting to see how he develops, but he should stick as a starter and will make his stateside debut in 2024.

12. Emerson Hancock (RHP)

The first few years of Emerson Hancock’s pro career have certainly been disappointing, a former top 10 pick, Hancock has struggled with injuries, diminished stuff, and inconsistencies throughout his professional career. 

Hancock has a big frame, but no longer carries the big-time fastball/slider combination the Georgia product once did. The reviews on him in camp are very positive so far, with an increase in velocity being reported. He will need significantly more fastball value and breaking ball progress to be considered a number 3/4 starter.

Admittedly I watched Hancock in person in his first spring outing and wanted to raise him in my ranks. The fastball velo is back and so was a reformed version of a cutter/slider. Keep a close eye on his velocity and health.