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**Here’s the podcast edition of the Mariners Risers and Shiners List for you Podcast lovers!**
| Rank | Player | Position | How Acquired |
| 1 | Noelvi Marte | SS | International Signing 2018 |
| 2 | George Kirby | RHP | 1st Round 2019 Draft – 20th Overall |
| 3 | Emerson Hancock | RHP | 1st Round 2020 Draft – 6th Overall |
| 4 | Harry Ford | C | 1st Round 2021 Draft – 12th Overall |
| 5 | Matt Brash | RHP | Trade with Padres |
| Risers | |||
| 1 | Jonatan Clase | OF | International Signing 2018 |
| 2 | Milkar Perez | 3B | International Signing 2018 |
| 3 | Zach DeLoach | OF | 2nd Round – 2020 Draft |
| 4 | Alberto Rodriguez | OF | Trade with Blue Jays |
| 5 | Edwin Arroyo | SS | 2nd Round – 2021 Draft |
1. Noelvi Marte SS | Everett AquaSox (A+)
20-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’1″ | 181 lbs. | ETA: 2024
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 45 | 60 | 50 | 55 | 55 | 6 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .273 | .366 | .459 | .825 | 17 | 24 | 7 | 22.9% | 11.7% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .187 | 118 | 11.6% | 43.7% | 22.8% | 33.5% | 51.5% | 25.2% | 23.3% |
Scouting Report:
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in the 2018-19 J2 class for $1.55 million, Marte was one of the big prizes of that signing period and the Mariners might’ve found another special prospect in their system. Marte has been considered one of the top shortstop prospects in all of minor league baseball and he’s been showing why the last few seasons. Marte will be a bat-first prospect with a solid ability to hit for power. He’ll have steady walk rates throughout his career and get on-base at a good rate. Marte’s swing is a thing of beauty as it’s quick, compact and comes with plenty of thump. I do worry about the big leg kick in his load, however, he’s already started refining it to get his timing better. While he isn’t a strong defender, his athleticism and soft hands should allow him to stick and short long term. With his combination of plus power potential and above-average speed, Marte remains a staple in the Mariners future plans, he’s still pretty raw and will need longer in the minors. On the other end, the ceiling of Marte is something that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Written By: Drake Mann (@drakemann4)
2. George Kirby RHP | Seattle Mariners (MLB)
24-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’4″ | 215 lbs. | ETA: 2022
| IP | G | GS | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | HR/9 |
| 67.2 | 15 | 15 | 2.53 | 1.08 | 29.2% | 5.5% | 0.13 |
| SwStr% | xFIP | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| 16.3% | 3.28 | 54.3% | 19.7% | 26.0% | 41.2% | 20.3% | 38.4% |
| FB | CB | CH | SL | Control | Role |
| 60 | 55 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 6 |
Scouting Report:
Let’s just start off by saying if you look up the definition of control freak in a dictionary you will see a picture of George Kirby. The first round selection in 2019 has blossomed with the Mariners and has debuted quite nicely in the MLB. He has a good mix of velocity and control with a fastball that touches high 90’s. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has clean mechanics with good pitch tunneling. That aforementioned fastball has pretty heavy sink and it pairs well with his solid slider that he spots down in the zone. Both have underwhelming spin rates but due to his command of those pitches they have plus potential. He has a good curveball and his changeup is another look for hitters. In the end, Kirby has solid potential to be a at least a number two starter in the Mariners rotation for a long time.
Written By: Drake Mann (@drakemann4)
3. Emerson Hancock RHP | Arkansas Travelers (AA)
23-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’4″ | 213 lbs. | ETA: 2024
| FB | CB | CH | SL | Control | Role |
| 60 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 55 | 6 |
| IP | G | GS | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | HR/9 |
| 44.2 | 12 | 12 | 2.62 | 1.03 | 24.0% | 9.5% | 0.20 |
| SwStr% | xFIP | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| 10.7% | 4.19 | 50.4% | 26.1% | 23.5% | 44.4% | 23.1% | 32.5% |
Scouting Report:
Hancock has had an up and down career since being drafted 6th overall in 2020. He’s had multiple injuries and setbacks but on the other end he has put up solid numbers in the minors. He possesses a career ERA of 2.57 in 18 games started. In those 18 games, he’s thrown 66.2 innings and struck out 64 batters. You’ve probably heard about his stuff, a fastball that is thrown mid-to-high 90’s, a slider with good quality late bite, a curveball with average potential and a solid changeup that will be his premier strike out pitch going forward. I do worry about his mechanics a bit and the amount of stress he puts on his shoulder in his delivery. However, with how well the Mariners have developed guys like Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, Hancock should be next in line to be the next breakout pitching prospect in this system.
Written By: Drake Mann (@drakemann4)
4. Harry Ford C | Modesto Nuts (A)
19-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 5’10 | 200 lbs. | ETA: 2024
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 50 | 55 | 55 | 60 | 60 | 6 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .291 | .400 | .582 | .982 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 21.5% | 13.8% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .291 | 150 | 22.3% | 31.7% | 22.0% | 46.3% | 51.2% | 19.5% | 29.3% |
Scouting Report:
Ford is an athletic catcher with rare speed for the position. He’s been clocked as fast as 6.5 seconds on his 60-yard-dash and could steal a few bases at the big-league level. The Georgia native swings with intent to put the ball in air and has a quick swing that gives him power projection. There will be swing-and-miss as he does have an upper cut and appears to sell out for homers.
Written By: Austin Farmer (@AustinF0421)
5. Matt Brash RHP | Tacoma Rainers (AAA)
24-Years-Old | Bats: R | Throws: R | 6’1″ | 173 lbs. | ETA: 2022
| FB | CB | CH | SL | Control | Role |
| 60 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 40 | 5 |
| IP | G | GS | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | HR/9 |
| 97.1 | 20 | 19 | 2.31 | 1.14 | 35.1% | 11.9% | 0.55 |
| SwStr% | xFIP | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| 15.4% | 3.64 | 46.8% | 18.0% | 35.1% | 39.8% | 25.1% | 35.1% |
Scouting Report:
Brash features a full windup and ¾ arm slot, and is also a toe dragger who keeps his front foot on-line to home plate. His fastball velocity continues to improve, averaging in the low 90’s when he first started in the minor leagues, to now in the mid 90’s and on occasion 100 mph. It is a good pitch that is capable of getting hitters out, and it is most effective when located high and above the strike zone, or high and inside towards the wrists of right or left-handed batters. His curveball, changeup and slider continue to be a work in progress. The curveball has ¾ movement, and tends to break late and out over the plate, and though it is not a strikeout pitch, he can induce ground ball outs. His changeup is most effective with lateral fading action that ends at the bottom corners of the strike zone and freezes hitters. His best sliders start out slow, but then finish with a late and sharp tilt, fading down and off the plate for swings and misses. The key for Brash’s future as a starting pitcher is whether he can improve control and command of his pitches, and develop a little more consistency with his off-speed offerings. If he can, it will help solidify his chances of becoming a bottom of the rotation starting pitcher. Another plan for Brash future is an average relief pitcher where his fastball, off speed offerings, and max out effort might play up better in shorter stints, but can also be called upon to fill in a starting rotation for couple of starts if needed.
Written By: Patrick Joyce (@PJoyce29)
Risers:
1. Jonatan Clase OF | Modestgo Nuts (A)
20-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 5’8″ | 150 lbs. | ETA: 2025
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 60 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 50 | 5 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .243 | .333 | .388 | .721 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 26.3% | 10.5% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .143 | 91 | 23.1% | 43.3% | 16.7% | 40.0% | 38.7% | 22.6% | 38.7% |
Scouting Report:
Clase is one of the more fun prospects to watch in this system, he’s dynamic, quick, and hits the ball everywhere. There’s surprising power in his bat for his size. However, his contact and speed are what make him such an intriguing prospect. He has a better swing from the left side, as it’s quicker and develops loud contact off the bat. From the right side, his swing is longer but still should develop some solid contact going forward. Clase also has a bigger leg kick but gets his timing well and has good gap-to-gap power. I personally love Clase as a prospect, with his mix of solid contact and plus speed, he’s going to be a quick riser through the system and be a top of the order force for the Mariners going forward.
Written By: Drake Mann (@drakemann4)
2. Milkar Perez 3B | Modesto Nuts (A)
20-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: R | 5’11” | 173 lbs. | ETA: 2024
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 60 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 60 | 5 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .308 | .455 | .378 | .832 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19.1% | 19.5% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .070 | 136 | 14.0% | 49.2% | 31.1% | 19.7% | 43.7% | 21.4% | 34.9% |
Scouting Report:
The old baseball saying “line drives and RBIs” applies to Milkar Perez. The bat finds the ball when Perez is at the plate, and he hits anything he sees and his bat is a ball magnet. While Perez didn’t hit a homerun in 2021, he has enough loft in his swing that the homeruns will come as he develops but will never strike out much. The Nicaraguan reached Low-A Modesto and had a .406 OBP during his short, six game stint there and had a .455 OBP between Modesto and the ACL walking 43 times between the two levels. Did I mention he was just 19 in 2021? There’s so much potential to dream about with Perez as he’s a switch hitter who’s already producing impressive numbers before he turned 20.
Written By: Austin Farmer (@AustinF0421)
3. Zach DeLoach OF | Arkansas Travelers (AA)
23 Years Old | Throw: R | Bat: L | 6’1″ | 205lbs | ETA 2023
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 50 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 4 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .276 | .373 | .468 | .841 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 24.2% | 12.0% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .191 | 126 | 12.6% | 37.3% | 27.6% | 35.1% | 43.8% | 20.1% | 36.1% |
Scouting Report:
There were question marks about Zach DeLoach’s bat coming out of college as he struggled to hit even .200 his first couple of seasons. However, he ended up reaching Double-A after a strong performance in High-A. While the question marks still remain, he presents enough athleticism in his game that could help him climb through the ranks in the next couple of years while posting high OBP numbers. His main issue is that he gets in his head and he gets flustered causing him to get in his own head and misread pitches.
Written By: Austin Farmer (@AustinF0421)
4. Alberto Rodriguez OF | Everett AquaSox (A+)
21-Years-Old | Bats: L | Throws: L | 5’11” | 227 lbs | ETA: 2025
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 50 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 5 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .289 | .379 | .470 | .849 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 22.2% | 11.5% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .180 | 124 | 10.7% | 51.0% | 22.8% | 26.2% | 44.4% | 24.2% | 31.3% |
Scouting Report:
I’m going to go on a limb and say the Mariners stole Alberto Rodriguez from the Blue Jays for Taijuan Walker in 2020. Many fans probably don’t know about Alberto Rodriguez but this is one name to keep an eye on. He excelled in 2021 and at 21-Years-Old he’s got plenty of time to hit his ceiling as an everyday regular. There’s some massive thump in his bat and he smokes the ball to all fields. In the end, he has monster potential with the bat and will be a good run producer with 25+ home run potential and good stolen base potential, something the Mariners will value a lot. If he doesn’t make it in a crowded Mariners outfield he could net the Mariners something nice.
Written By: Drake Mann (@drakemann4)
5. Edwin Arroyo SS | Modesto Nuts (A)
18-Years-Old | Bats: S | Throws: S | 6’0″ | 175 lbs. | ETA: 2025
| Hit | PWR | FLD | SPD | ARM | Role |
| 50 | 45 | 60 | 55 | 60 | 5 |
| AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | CS | K% | BB% |
| .211 | .337 | .324 | .661 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 30.2% | 11.6% |
| ISO | wRC+ | SwStr% | GB% | LD% | FB% | Pull% | Cent% | Oppo% |
| .113 | 84 | 36.4% | 39.5% | 25.6% | 34.9% | 52.2% | 17.4% | 30.4% |
Scouting Report:
Edwin Arroyo was young for his draft class as he hails from Puerto Rico, but has a strong approach at the plate. He’s not afraid to wait for a pitch he likes. There’s plenty of bat speed with Arroyo, but he’s got a more contact, line drive-oriented swing. He may only be an average bat in the bigs, but his defense will carry him. He shows soft hands at short with range, and has a strong chance to stick at the position. He’s been clocked at 96 mph from short, but he can be a bit erratic with his throws which brings his arm to a plus grade, instead of plus-plus.
Written By: Austin Farmer (@AustinF0421)
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