The Seattle Mariners’ Top 3 Prospects

Every season MLB.com puts out a new list of every team’s top 100 prospects. The list for Seattle will have some new faces since the team trades away prospects including SS Edwin Arroyo and SS Noevili Marte to acquire P Luis Castillo from the Cincinnati Reds. That being said, meet the top three ranked prospects in the Seattle Mariners organization.

1. Harry Ford, Catcher (rated NO. 64 in MLB top 100)

• Born: February 21, 2003 (age 19), Atlanta GA
• Hometown: Atlanta, GA
• Height and Weight: 5’10” and 200lbs
• Draft: 2021, Seattle Mariners, Round: 1, Overall Pick: 12 – SEA, North Cobb HS, Kennesaw, GA
• Team: Modest Nuts (Single A)
• Estimated Year of making the MLB: 2025
• Bio: A former four-star prospect coming out of High School, Ford is a sneaky athletic catcher whose athletic ability caught the attention of the Mariners. Ford is a prospect for the Mariners that they have been looking for, a great overall catcher. More specifically, a guy that can hit and be solid behind the plate. Ford has shown in 99 games that he is an above-average hitter batting .265 but is great at getting on base with an impressive .419 OBP. His offense isn’t the only interesting piece of Ford’s game, but his defensive ability behind home plate. Mariners scouts were wowed by Ford’s arm strength and his ability to throw runners out. All of the tools in Ford’s game should help him propel him to a future big leaguer.

2. Emerson Hancock, Right-Handed Pitcher

• Born: May 31, 1999 (age 23), Thomasville, GA
• Hometown: Cairo, GA
• Height and Weight: 6’4’’ and 213lbs
• Draft: 2020, 1st round, Overall Pick: 12th – SEA, University of Georgia
• Team: Arkansas Travelers (Double AA)
• Estimated Year of Making the MLB: 2023
• Bio: At 23 years old, Hancock was set back by injuries in 2020 but has displayed flashes of excellence with a solid 7-4 record. Hancock pitching specifically his fastball is the best in his arsenal. He hits mid to upper 90 MPH. Although appealing and exciting, there is some lack of consistency with Hancock. He needs more practice and repetition which means staying healthy to keep himself going in order to improve his game. Earlier this Summer, Hancock was selected for the 2022 MLB Futures Game where the best and brightest minor league prospects from the American League and National League battle each other out. Overall, there is a lot of upside for Hancock’s future with the Mariners.

3. Gabriel Gonzalez, Outfielder

• Born: 01/04/2004 (age 18), Venezuela
• Hometown: Venezuela
• Height and Weight: 5’10’’ and 165lbs
• Draft: Undrafted, signed out of Venezuela in 2021
• Team: Modesto Nuts (Single A)
• Estimated Year of Making the MLB: 2025
• Bio: Gonzalez is well known for his athletic ability with an above-average glove in the outfield. Although his body frame appears to be small, remember that size doesn’t always matter. He can swing the bat with excellent speed and steal bases as well. Gonzalez this season is not a prized prospect but his athletic ability along with his speed gives him a high ceiling with potential just ready to be tapped in. If he keeps his speed he could be a solid outfielder, but as he is only 18 years old, he will grow which could possibly transition him to a corner outfield position. It’s going to be exciting to see what Gonzales has in store in his young career.

Statistics Courtesy of FanGraphs, Baseball Reference,  Baseball Savant, and MLB.com

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