Seattle Mariners: Top 2012 Prospects
Pitching, Pitching, Pitching... and a Bat!
Now that that pesky ace Michael Pineda is out of the way, Seattle lefty Danny Hultzen should see his path to the majors shortened.
The Mariners have been something of a laughing stock in recent years. The team, once high-flying Yankee rivals behind A-Rod, Griffey and the Big Unit, fell fast and far in the years since. Last year's Mariner team produced an offense so anemic, in fact, that it was one of the worst of the century.
Through it all, Mariner faithful have repeated these words in times of stress: 'At least we have Felix.'
For a time in 2011, that chant almost turned into 'At least we have Felix and Pineda' as the team had awoken to a frighteningly talented 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. But, again, they didn't have much else, and after January's shocker, they didn't even have that.
In trading away their most prized young player this winter, the Mariners made a move that should bring some punch to that weak offense in short order. Yes, Pineda is gone, but young Jesus Montero, catcher or not, is a premium slugger: probably the best power prospect in baseball after Bryce Harper. And unlike Harper, he's clearly ready for the big leagues right now.
In short order, Montero will be joining a lineup that should feature two more premium bats who graduated from the minors last season: first baseman Justin Smoak and second baseman Dustin Ackley. Ackley, Smoak and Montero, all once top-five prospects, should form the sort of solid core of young talent that Seattle's been lacking for a decade. Meanwhile, the revitalized farm system is busy preparing a number of live arms to slot in behind King-for-Life Felix Hernandez.
Here's a quick look at some of the talent that's coming (soon!) from the Seattle farm system.
The usual disclaimer: Scouting Book's Prospect Rankings change very often, to reflect the latest and most promising prospects and situations. These listings recalculate every day as we include new input, correct errors (thanks for letting us know, helpful readers) and MLB situations evolve. For more information on our system, read this blog posting.
Next Up: Los Angeles Angels
