Spring Takeaways: Cade Marlowe could be a player for Seattle
Cade Marlowe has easily been one of the most impressive players in camp for the Mariners. What to expect from him in 2023...
Jerry Dipoto has never been shy to issue praise on his players, especially the ones who were drafted under his regime. The President of Baseball Operations has issued effusive praise for the tools and players that young outfielder Cade Marlowe has developed into.
A 20th-round selection in 2019 out of the University of West Georgia, Marlowe signed for just $5,000 for an opportunity to play in the Seattle system. After hitting his entire college career, Marlowe hasn’t stopped since joining the Mariners’ farm system.
In three minor league seasons, the 25-year-old has slashed .280/.373/.507 with 52 home runs and 76 stolen bases. He has hit at every level and much of his success thus far feels familiar.
Players like Mitch Haniger, Ty France, and JP Crawford were great minor league performers and older prospects who finally got their chance in Seattle, blossoming into playoff-caliber regulars.
Much of Marlowe’s profile makes you believe he could do the same thing for the Mariners. His career WRC+ is 120 in the minor leagues, winning the Edgar Martinez Dominate the Zone Hitter Award for the 2022 season and the 2021 K.
His performance allowed him to make the taxi squad for the postseason run last year, and the team was seriously considering putting him on the roster.
While all of this is awfully impressive, Marlowe’s profile doesn’t come without question marks. His strikeout rate was just over 25 percent at Double-A Arkansas last season, but upon reaching Tacoma it turned to 38.7 percent.
Many have expressed concern over his strikeout rates, which is a valid concern considering the league average is about 24 percent.
When I arrived in Peoria, the young outfielder was at the top of my list of players to watch. My goal was to form my own opinion on him as a player, as he was one of the players in the system I haven’t seen play yet.
On the backfields of Peoria, many players can be seen cycling through batting practice rounds, defensive drills, and the weight room. Marlowe stood out as a physically imposing player, standing at 6-1 and well over 200 pounds.
The 25 year old outfielder has somewhat of an unorthodox swing, not nearly as pleasing to the eye as someone like Jarred Kelenic or Julio Rodríguez. His swing is somewhat robotic looking at first, but you quickly realize he has a good feel for the barrel.
One scout reportedly compared Marlowe to Hunter Pence because of his tools and unorthodox swing.
The second thing that stands out when you watch Cade Marlowe is his excellent speed. He easily eats up ground, running somewhere between 60 and 70 grade speed which helps him tremendously in the outfield and on the bases.
After Rodríguez was removed from the game following a collision with the centerfield fence in Monday’s competition, Marlowe took over. Before the stadium announcer has even announced the young outfielder had taken over, Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson cracked a ball in the left center gap which was impressively tracked down.
Being able to observe Marlowe up close cleared up a lot of the worries I had about him as a prospect. His physical tools are downright impressive, and his minor league production speaks for itself.
I believe many of the swing and miss concerns are being overblown over just 13 games of Triple-A baseball. While Marlowe will likely start out the season in Tacoma, don’t count him out just yet as an option for the opening day roster.
While Spring Training results generally don’t matter, Cade Marlowe has certainly made a favorable impression so far this Spring.