Inside The Mariners

ANALYSIS: Which Top Seattle Mariners Prospects Are Likely to Get Called up in 2025?

The Seattle Mariners have arguably the best farm system in baseball; But there might not be a lot of opportunities for the top prospects to make an impact for the team in 2025.

Teren Kowatsch

Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young hits during a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 9 at American Family Fields.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Cole Young hits during a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 9 at American Family Fields. / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Mariners have some decisions to make this offseason.

The Mariners missed out on the playoffs for the 22nd time in 23 years. For the third time in four years, the team was eliminated during the final week of the season.

Seattle President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has been in the front office for nearly a decade and has one playoff appearance to show for it. He helped organize a complete top-to-bottom team rebuild that netted the club its current face of the franchise Julio Rodriguez, arguably the best catcher in the majors Cal Raleigh and the best starting rotation in baseball.

But the Mariners need to take the next step and become legitimate contenders. If they don't, one has to wonder how much longer Dipoto is meant for his current role. Especially amidst growing fan discontent.

Despite team owner/chairman John Stanton emphasizing that the team won't be big spenders in free agency, the M's has several cost-effective players to target in free agency and potential trade acquisitions to try and deal for.

They also have one of the best farm systems in baseball.

Seattle has eight prospects in Baseball America's top 100, more than any other team in the major leagues, and five players in MLB Pipeline's top 100.

Several of the Mariners top 100 prospects play positions of need and could get invites to spring training.

But most of those players are also young. And only a couple are at the point in their development where they could seriously factor into Seattle's 2025 plans.

With that being said, here's an overview of some of the Mariners' top prospects and the odds I think of them making the big leagues in 2025. For the sake of simplicity, we'll avoid going over players who were on Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 2024.

1. Colt Emerson, infielder

The first player we're going over is MLB Pipeline's top Seattle prospect and a top-30 minor leaguer in all of baseball.

Emerson has been on a meteoric rise in his 15 months since getting drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft out of high school. He finished out the year with the organization's High-A affiliate Everett AquaSox and was second in the Arizona Fall League in hits (18) and first in doubles (eight) in just 10 games played entering Friday.

The issue is his age. Emerson is just 19 years-old. He's become more consistent getting solid contact on the ball and his defense is exemplary. But he's still developing physically and is yet to meet the power-tool potential many analysts projected for him coming out of high school.

Emerson is projected for a 2026 call-up according to MLB Pipeline.

If he gets a look in the majors in 2025, something went wrong. An Emerson call-up in 2025 likely means Seattle is so far out of the playoff race that they call-up some minor leaguers. Or third base and shortstop is ravaged with injuries or are underperforming (or some combination of the two).

Even if Emerson continues on his current trajectory, a 2025 call-up is unlikely.

2025 call-up odds: 20%

2. Lazaro Montes, outfielder

Montes might be the biggest fan-favorite out of all the Mariners minor leaguers.

His physical tools are evident. He's listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds according to his MiLB.com player profile. In reality he's closer to 6-foot-4, 225.

Montes has drawn comparisons to Yordan Alvarez of Seattle's American league West rivals the Houston Astros.

Montes, like Emerson, also finished the season in Everett. He had a down month in July after getting promoted from Low-A Modesto Nuts, but he responded by hitting .411 in August.

Montes will likely get an invite to spring training. The biggest hurdle for him is to develop consistent contact to go with his power tool.

But similar to Emerson, if he gets called up something likely went wrong. Dipoto put a seal of approval on the current major league outfield core of Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez and Victor Robles. Luke Raley is also capable of moving to the outfield if need be.

A situation where Montes gets called up would be bad news. But several media personalities and fans have projected the team trading away or moving on from outfielders Mitch Haniger and Dominic Canzone. There's more outfield spots available than infield, which could open the door for Montes to get called up and get some pointers and coaching in the majors. But he'd be hardly used, if at all, in that scenario.

For that reason alone, he's slightly more likely to make the majors than Emerson.

2025 call-up odds: 30%

3. Harry Ford, catcher

Ford is probably in the biggest no-win situation than any player in the organization's farm system.

Ford's potential has been evident since getting drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft. He's a two-time MLB All-Star Futures Game competitor and was on the Great Britain team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

But his position creates problems for his future aspirations with the Mariners.

Ford plays catcher. The same position occupied by Raleigh.

Unless Seattle fails to sign Raleigh to a long-term extension, which would be a huge mistake, there's very few scenarios where Ford becomes a starter in the near future.

Barring a trade, backup catcher Mitch Garver will remain on the team through 2025. Last year, the Mariners opted to use Seby Zavala as the third-string catcher rather than call-up Ford.

Ford was tried out at designated hitter and left field in 2024 with the team's Double-A Arkansas Travelers and batted .249 with just seven home runs and 45 RBIs.

It's an unfortunate scenario. But unless the team uses Ford in a different position, then he'll likely spend the season in Triple-A or Double-A.

Or used in a trade package.

2025 call-up odds: 10%

4. Brandyn Garcia, LHP

Now this is where it gets interesting.

Garcia won the team's co-Jamie Moyer Pitcher of the Year award and is the only pro-ready (or near-pro-ready) southpaw starter in Seattle's farm system.

Garcia's best chances at getting a look in the big leagues in 2025 is as the team's No. 6 pitcher. The same role Emerson Hancock was in last season.

Hancock did well enough in 2024 that Garcia would need an amazing spring training to jump him. But he has the capability to do it.

When Luis Castillo suffered a hamstring strain toward the end of the season last year, the organization was debating bringing up Hancock or going to the farm to find the replacement starter. The Mariners ended up going with Hancock, but it's hard to imagine Garcia wasn't included in those discussions.

Garcia went from a projected bullpen arm to a surefire future starter. In addition to being a lefty, he boasts a two-seam fastball that touches the upper 90-MPH range, a cutter and a sweeper that all grade above-average.

If Seattle does end up trading a starter in the offseason, something Dipoto said was "plan z" on the team's preference to improve, then the M's will need a new starter anyways.

Pitching injuries happen every year and the Mariners' rotation was remarkably healthy with four pitchers starting at least 30 games.

The team can't bank on that happening again. And that might open the door to Garcia getting a look in the big leagues.

2025 call-up odds: 55%

5. Logan Evans, RHP

Evans is Seattle's top-ranked pitching prospect (aside from 2024 draft picks Ryan Sloan and Jurrangelo Cijntje) and was likely included in those discussions at the end of the year for a replacement starter for Castillo.

Evans, like Garcia, has three plus-grade pitches (two-seam, slider, cutter). His cutter is most effective against left-handed bats and his slider is dangerous against lefties.

Garcia is the more physically imposing of the two. Both are listed at 6-foot-4 but Garcia has 20 pounds on Evans.

That being said, there's still a lot of untapped potential with Garcia while Evans is more of a polished product.

Evans is more than capable of fulfilling the same role as Hancock but his "elite extension" (according to Baseball Savant) could likely lead to higher strikeout numbers.

Evans has improved significantly since being drafted by the Mariners, and it's hard to see another full year pass without Seattle seeing what it has in the former Pittsburgh Panther.

2025 call-up odds: 60%

6. Cole Young, infielder

The most likely 2025 call-up is the last player discussed on this list.

Young is ranked as the Mariners' No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and is the most pro-ready minor leaguer that plays a position of need for the team.

Young played all of 2024 with the Travelers and was one of the most consistent hitters the team had. He hit .271 with nine home runs, 57 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in Arkansas.

Young played shortstop and second base in Arkansas and posted a .978 fielding percentage in 445 total chances.

Young doesn't possess the power-tool that Emerson, Montes or fellow middle-infield prospect Michael Arroyo has. But he's a stellar defender who's capable of producing consistent contact with speed on the base paths.

Second base is wide-open with Seattle expected to decline 2024 starter Jorge Polanco's option.

Young will likely have to compete with Ryan Bliss and Leo Rivas for the position in spring training. And that's not even considering the out-of-house second baseman the team could acquire.

But Young undoubtedly is the most likely prospect to make a significant impact in 2025. And even though it's the farthest thing from a guarantee he'll be successful, maybe it's time Dipoto and the front office hand the keys over to a prospect rather than continuing with stop-gap options.

2025 call-up odds: 85%

Other names to look out for:

Ben Williamson, infielder

Michael Morales, RHP

Michael Arroyo, infielder

Travis Kuhn, reliever

Hunter Cranton, reliever

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MARINERS SIGN FORMER FIFTH ROUND PICK TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL: The Seattle Mariners signed a former First-Team All-Big Ten infielder to a minor league deal in mid-October and immediately signed him to the club's Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. CLICK HERE

MARINERS TOP PROSPECT TALKS ABOUT STINT IN ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE: Seattle Mariners prospect Colt Emerson went on the Foul Territory Podcast on Thursday to talk about the offseason and his focus competing in the Arizona Fall League. CLICK HERE

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Teren Kowatsch
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