Seattle Mariners Top 10 Prospects For 2017
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
9. Mitch Haniger, OF
Birthdate: 12/23/90 (25 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA, AAA, MLB
Stats in 2016: .321/.419/.581, 25 HR, 12 sB
Part of the trade with Arizona that also brought Jean Segura to Seattle, Haniger was drafted by the Brewers originally as a guy who looked the part of a quick to the majors college hitter in 2012.
Injuries really stalled out things for Haniger along the way, though, and in the midst of things, he ended up part of the deal for Gerardo Parra in 2014, landing him in Arizona’s system.
While he’d always hit some when healthy, 2016 was a sign of the excellent production Haniger can have when all is right. He has fringe-raw power and excellent bat speed in the zone, which allows him to keep a very respectable strikeout rate for a power hitter.
While he’d always hit some when healthy, 2016 was a sign of the excellent production Haniger can have when all is right
Haniger is a guy who is not just a hulking slugger, either, as he’s a solid fielder in either corner with a big plus arm that he can use in right field and also has the instincts to play center in a pinch, though he’s probably best suited for a corner on an every day basis.
While many look to Haniger’s stats as a PCL mirage, he has always possessed the bat talent, but he was just never healthy enough to realize it. If he can keep himself on the field, he should be able to provide right-handed power to the Mariners lineup.
At this point, there’s really little for Haniger to prove in the minor leagues, and at 26 years old to open the season, he’s probably spent his last season in the minors, so it’s just a matter of whether he wins an opening day starting role or is coming off the bench in Seattle.
Next: #8
8. D.J. Peterson, 1B
Birthdate: 12/31/91 (24 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA, AAA
Stats in 2016: .264/.327/.455, 19 HR
While D.J. was the brother with more pedigree, it could be argued that brother Dustin Peterson took over as the more promising prospect in 2016.
D.J. was a college hitter that looked like a quick-mover when the Mariners selected him 12th overall in the 2013 draft, and he followed suit, getting all the way to AA in his first full season in 2014 with big time power numbers to match.
Peterson returned to AA in 2015, and he struggled out of the gate before an Achilles injury wiped out the rest of his season. He got back on track in AA this season, but the similar struggles came calling upon promotion to AAA Tacoma.
Peterson’s natural swing is able to drive balls with authority to all fields and significant loft to his pull side
D.J. has a plus arm that pushed the Mariners to keep him at third as long as possible, but his footwork and lateral agility forced the move to first base.
When he’s right, Peterson’s natural swing is able to drive balls with authority to all fields and significant loft to his pull side. Over-correcting his natural pull strength was a big reason for his 2015 struggles, but it remains to be seen if he can get a full recovery in the swing.
With Dan Vogelbach ahead of him at the big league level not really much of a defender at first base, Peterson could move up to the bigs quickly and push Vogelbach to a platoon or even DH role with a big season in 2017.
Next: #7
7. Dan Vogelbach, 1B
Birthdate: 12/17/92 (24 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AAA, MLB
Stats in 2016: .292/.417/.505, 23 HR (minor league stats only)
Vogelbach has long been on prospect radars as the big first baseman’s powerful left-handed swing first caught notice in the Chicago Cubs system.
With Anthony Rizzo entrenched in front of him, Vogelbach made for a trade chip for the Cubs, and they moved him last season for lefty swing man Mike Montgomery. The Mariners may prove to be the benefactors in that transaction.
(Vogelbach) was still able to control the strike zone well, one of his best attributes as a power hitter
While Vogelbach did not hit as well for Tacoma as he had been hitting for Iowa, he was still able to control the strike zone well, one of his best attributes as a power hitter, as he walked nearly 100 times on the season.
Vogelbach is really not a great defensive first baseman, and he might end up in a DH role long-term, but his lefty power along with his excellent eye would lead to a long career in the middle of the Mariners lineup.
Vogelbach should open 2017 in Seattle as either the outright starter or in a platoon at first base/DH.
Next: #6
5. Robert Whalen, RHP
Birthdate: 1/31/94 (22 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA, AAA, MLB
Stats in 2016: 120 IP, 2.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 8.87 BB%, 22.58 K%
Outside of Rob’s own mother, I may be his biggest fan on the planet, and as a guy who has followed the Braves since the Dale Murphy years, it hurt to see him get traded away in the Alex Jackson deal.
Whalen had never really been healthy as a professional before 2016. He made only three starts at high-A for the Braves’ affiliate in 2015 before he had knee surgery to correct issues that had been nagging him for some time.
He worked hard all offseason, and he came back with not just his physical body sharp, but also his mental fortitude on the mound. Whalen’s ability to work over hitters within an at bat is a rarity in minor league baseball. He has the ability to make adjustments within an at bat and change a grip by just enough to give a new wrinkle a hitter has never seen in any video.
Whalen doesn’t possess a blazing fastball or plus offspeed stuff, but he does have a five-pitch mix that really can play to much more.
Whalen doesn’t possess a blazing fastball or plus offspeed stuff, but he does have a five-pitch mix that really can play to much more. He has worked hard to understand how to utilize various grips on his pitches to give him a different break, allowing him to throw multiple variations on certain pitches.
While that sounds like a prototypical junkballer, Whalen did have some stats to back up his performance, with one of the highest swinging strike rates on two-seam fastballs among major leaguers in his MLB debut.
Whalen could end up a guy who is a mid-rotation guy, but I think he compares very favorably to what we saw with how sequencing and varying pitch locations and wrinkles in the movement can help a pitcher in Kyle Hendricks this season with the Cubs.
Whalen should be given every opportunity to break camp in the Mariners rotation this year.
Next: #4
1. Tyler O’Neill, OF
Birthdate: 6/22/95 (21 years old)
Level(s) Played in 2016: AA
Stats in 2016: .293/.374/.508, 24 HR, 12 SB
O’Neill has been a guy who has caught the eye of many since being drafted in the 3rd round in 2013 as one of the youngest high schoolers in that year’s draft. Until mid-season 2015, though, that notice was more along the lines of MiLB.com’s Tyler Maun’s unnatural obsession with O’Neill’s muscular arms.
Then he broke out in a big way the second half of 2015, and he only built on that in 2016 to be the MVP of the entire Southern League with 26 doubles and 4 triples to go along with his 24 home runs.
O’Neill has incredible bat speed, which causes the ball to absolutely explode off of his bat. He’s able to work with pitches to take them all over the field as well, not just limiting himself to pull power.
While O’Neill does have solid pitch recognition and can take a walk, he does tend to be fairly aggressive in his at bats, which leads to a high strikeout rate, and his swing, while powerful, does open up some at the end and allow him to be susceptible to hard breaking stuff or late movement.
O’Neill fits the traditional right field profile with his plus power and a plus arm. He is a better athlete than one might imagine based on his initial take-off speed, as he does have solid speed once at full pace.
He’ll likely open 2017 with the AAA club and should move soon to cement himself in right field and the heart of the Mariners lineup for many years to come.
Next: Newcomer To Watch