Seattle Mariners Ink Duo of Top 20 International Prospects to Contracts

The Seattle Mariners came to terms with outfielder Yorger Bautista and infielder Kendry Martinez, with both earning significant signing bonuses.
A Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park.
A Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Seattle Mariners have kicked off the international signing period on a good note by inking two of the best prospects available.

MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reports that the club signed Venezuelan outfielder Yorger Bautista and Dominican shortstop Kendry Martinez. Both players agreed to contracts with $2 million signing bonuses, leaving Seattle with $3.6 million to spend on the rest of the 2025 international signing class.

Bautista is MLB Pipeline's No. 6 international prospect and Martinez is the No. 19 prospect.

According to MLB Pipeline's scouting report, which ranks tools on a scale from 20-80 with 50 being average, Bautista has a 50 hit grade, a 65 power grade, 60 run grade, 65 arm grade and 55 field grade for an overall score of 55. The website had the following assessment on the left-handed 17 year-old:

Equipped with a slightly unorthodox swing in which he rests the bat on his back shoulder until he strides forward, the left-handed hitter has routinely showcased elite bat speed and raw power in front of evaluators. Some say it’s the best they’ve seen on the international scene in half a decade. That double-plus power coming from his 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame bodes well as he continues to gain experience and in-game reps.
Bautista’s strength pops at the dish and so does his throwing arm from the outfield. Boasting one of the strongest arms in the class, he backs that up with a plus glove. While the offensive profile may eventually lead to a corner outfield spot (likely right due to the arm strength), he will likely see some time in center as his pro career gets underway. Backing that up is the fact that he’s also an impressive runner who has been clocked at 6.4 seconds in 60-yard dash times.

Martinez isn't the athlete that Bautista is. But he still projects as a solid hit-to-contact prospect with potential to be a decent defender in the infield. According to MLB Pipeline, he has a 55 hit grade, 40 power grade, 50 run grade, 50 arm grade and a 50 field grade for an overall score of 50.

Martinez is much more hit-over-power at this stage of his development, boasting a flatter bat path with an up-the-middle approach. That said, his left-handed swing is one of the cleaner ones in the class, with a short stroke to the ball and quickness in his hands. How his power plays in games is much more up in the air, but his loose stroke and projectable body could enable that aspect of his skill set to develop in time.
Viewed as a solid defender with good instincts as a middle infielder, there’s optimism that Martinez remains there as he acclimates to pro ball. While his arm and wheels are just around average, it’s the totality of his package that gives him sum-greater-than-the-parts distinction.

Bautista and Martinez are the latest crown jewels of the Mariners international scouting department. Some big gets for the organization in the past several years have included three of Baseball America's top 10 prospects for the club like Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo and Felnin Celesten. Seattle also landed another top international prospect from the 2024 signing period in middle infielder Dawel Joseph.

The Mariners can also sign more international players in the early days of the signing period. According to Baseball America, the team is the favorite to sign several other of the publication's top 100 international prospects like Elias Perez, Maykol Rodriguez and Po-Chun Lin.

At the major-league level, the Mariners are coming off an 85-77 season that saw them miss the playoffs by one game.

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