Seattle Mariners High-Value Prospect Shockingly Left Off Baseball America Ranking List
Baseball America released their Top-10 catching prospects on Tuesday and shockingly, Seattle Mariners farmhand Harry Ford wasn't on it. The Top-10 featured Samuel Basallo (Orioles), Ethan Salas (Padres), Dalton Rushing (Dodgers), Kyle Teel (White Sox), Jeferson Quero (Brewers), Drake Baldwin (Braves), Moises Ballesteros (Cubs), Thayron Liranzo (Tigers), Blake Mitchell (Royals) and Edgar Quero (White Sox).
A lot of folks like to reference Baseball America’s prospect rankings given their often high praise of the #Mariners farm system.
— Jage (@thejagepage) January 8, 2025
Well their new Top 10 catching prospects list just dropped, and, well… pic.twitter.com/sva2moQPTP
Ford was ranked the No. 7 catching prospect in baseball in the last 2024 rankings by MLB.com, so to see him fall here is a notable piece of news.
Ford is one of the more interesting prospects in the M's vaunted system. He is uber-athletic, and his true value lies in the fact that he's a catcher. However, the M's don't have room for him at the major league level right now because of the production of Cal Raleigh. The M's want him to grow and don't want to use him as a major league backup and they've even explored the idea of using him in the outfield.
If Ford's catching stock falls, his overall prospect stock will fall, and he'll also become less marketable on the trade front if the M's want to pursue that.
The 21-year-old Ford hit .249 last season at Double-A Arkansas, helping the Travelers win the Texas League title He had a .377 on-base percentage, popping seven home runs and driving in 45. He also stole 35 bases, pointing to that athleticism.
MLB.com projects him to make the big leagues this season. As long as Raleigh stays healthy, it seems difficult to imagine that being as a full-time catcher, but perhaps he can carve out a hybrid role.
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