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Seattle Mariners Top 10 Prospects For 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Aug 18, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners ball cap and glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners ball cap and glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 18, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners ball cap and glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a Seattle Mariners ball cap and glove during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Mariners defeat the Rangers 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Seattle Mariners made big strides in Jerry Dipoto‘s first year at the helm in 2016. Can they expect help from the farm to take the next step in 2017?

An Introduction

Our minor league top 10 series is coordinated by Benjamin Chase, one of our contributors at Call To The Pen.

He has poured over thousands of minor league games over the course of the year via milb.tv along with speaking with a number of team and independent scouts. These lists are based out of those conversations.

Each system will have prospects from 10 to 1, and then finish with one newcomer to the system that is worth keeping an eye on that is not in the top 10 at this time.

Conversations are certainly encouraged in the comments section on each system as we go along!

Mariners System Review

When Jerry Dipoto came to Seattle from divisional rival Los Angeles, he found a minor league system that was brimming with talent but no one to properly teach it. The previous regime had been very focused on a “system”, and tried to force each pitcher and hitter into that development protocol, whether it fit their individual style or not.

Obviously, this method had major downfalls. There is no one way to develop a hitter or a pitcher. Each individual player requires different nurture, instruction, and sometimes a swift kick in the backside to reach their full potential. A great coach knows how to read each player to give the individual coaching needed to bring out the best in each.

That is more what was found in the Mariners system in 2016. Scouts with the team and around the game raved about the change in instruction with the players within the organization. There was much more focus on the individual player and less focus on the “my way or the highway” mentality that had become prevalent in the Mariners system.

The results were obvious. The Mariners had the best winning percentage of any minor league system in all of baseball in 2016. While the team may only have a few top 100 type of guys, it is a system of guys who are working more toward the top of their potential now, which means even those guys who really were best suited as utility guys can at least be solid utility guys at a cheap cost for the big league club.

Dipoto was not allowed to build up the farm system with the Angels, consistently pushed to pursue players for owner Art Moreno to push toward a championship as they wanted to seemingly compete with the crosstown Dodgers for team headlines rather than work to build a sustainable product.

The Mariners have made some excellent moves to put together a roster in Seattle that should have success in 2017, but the strides in the minor leagues are also quite noticeable.

Let’s take a look at the top 10!

Next: #10

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