Seattle Mariners Open to Top Prospects Making Team Out of Spring Training

The Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto talked about the possibility of some of the team's top minor leaguers playing their way onto the major league roster.

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

The Seattle Mariners have seven top 100 prospects according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. And many of those upper-tier minor leaguers are with the organization at spring training at the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona.

On the surface, the only minor league position player that has a chance to make the Mariners major league squad at the outset of 2025 is Cole Young. He's expected to factor into the organization's second base competition with returning veterans Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss and Leo Rivas.

But according to a comment from Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, the team is being open-minded about the possibility of any prospects playing their way onto the club.

Dipoto provided a comment in an article written by MLB.com's Daniel Kramer:

“We are open to the idea that if any of our young players -- if we feel like they have the ability to impact us in a meaningful way -- show us that this is their time, we're just going to let them run,” Dipoto said.

Second base is the only position the Mariners haven't addressed. And that leaves very few opportunities for other prospects at big league camp. Colt Emerson and Michael Arroyo are the only other top 100 prospects in Peoria who play the middle infield, aside from Young.

▶️ No. 1⃣ Mariners prospect Colt Emerson 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2B, 3 RBI today in the Nuts' 5-2 win.

⬇️ Such a functionally fetching swing ⬇️

💥 Oh, and he's 18. pic.twitter.com/i5P3xjIbDK

— Jason A. Churchill (@ProspectInsider) May 7, 2024

Designated hitter is another position that is technically open for Seattle. But if one of the aforementioned players, or top 100 outfielder Lazaro Montes, were to make the 26-man roster with that in mind, it could create a log jam with the prospects and players Mitch Haniger, Mitch Garver and Donovan Solano.

Outside of those highly-valued prospects, the Mariners also have minor league pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Hunter Cranton at camp. Both will have a chance to make the bullpen.

There was a perception going into spring training that Young would have to put up an incredible spring training to have a chance at winning the second base job.

But if Dipoto's comments are to be taken at face value, Young and the rest of the team's minor leaguers will have higher odds to make it to the show this season than initially thought.

Follow Minor League Baseball On SI on social media

You can also follow Teren Kowatsch on social media on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch.