2017 Seattle Mariners Top 10 Prospects Insider
See Also: Mariners Top 10 Prospects
Talent Infusion: Draft Report Card
Get it all: Subscribe to Baseball America
Go 30 deep: Order the 2017 Prospect Handbook!
SEASON IN A SENTENCE: Shrewd roster management by new general manager Jerry Dipoto, a bounce-back season by Robinson Cano and a potent offense helped the Mariners matter, as they contended for a wild-card spot down to the final week of the season, though they finished three games out of the playoffs.
HIGH POINT: Seattle was on the fringes of the playoff race until a mid-September eight-game winning streak in which the pitching staff caught fire, giving up just 15 runs in wins against division rivals Texas (two wins), Oakland (three) and Los Angeles (three). The final win, a 2-1 decision against the Angels, embodied the best of the season—Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager hit home runs, Hisashi Iwakuma pitched into the seventh inning for his 16th victory and rookie Edwin Diaz earned his 16th save.
LOW POINT: The Mariners had soared to 10 games over .500 before a late-August swoon in which they lost eight of nine, including a 1-6 road trip. The last game of the stretch was a dismal 14-1 loss to the Rangers in which ace Felix Hernandez gave up six runs in four innings and walked four.
NOTABLE ROOKIES: Diaz entered the season as the Mariners’ top pitching prospect and thrived after a shift to the bullpen that started at Double-A; he averaged 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings and racked up 18 saves. Korean first baseman Dae-ho Lee, 34, played a solid role as a power source, primarily against lefthanded pitching.
KEY TRANSACTIONS: Seattle’s offseason moves, such as trading Brad Miller in a package to the Rays for inconsistent starter Nathan Karns, or trading Mark Trumbo to Baltimore for Steve Clevenger didn’t work out at all. DiPoto massaged the margins of the roster constantly; some moves (trading Wade Miley for Ariel Miranda) worked, but the club probably could have used lefty Mike Montgomery, traded to the Cubs for DH/first baseman Dan Vogelbach, down the stretch.
DOWN ON THE FARM: New farm director Andy McKay had unmatched success in his first season. All six Mariners affiliates made the playoffs; they cumulatively posted a .581 winning percentage, second in baseball, and Double-A Jackson (Southern League) and the Rookie-level Arizona League Mariners won championships. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill earned Southern League MVP honors, batting .293/.374/.508 with 24 homers and a league-high 102 RBIs.
OPENING DAY PAYROLL: $ 141,683,339 (10th)
| BEST TOOLS | |
| Best Hitter for Average | Joe Rizzo |
| Best Power Hitter | Tyler O’Neill |
| Best Strike-Zone Discipline | Eric Filia |
| Fastest Baserunner | Drew Jackson |
| Best Athlete | Kyle Lewis |
| Best Fastball | Thyago Vieira |
| Best Curveball | Nick Wells |
| Best Slider | Dan Altavilla |
| Best Changeup | Nick Neidert |
| Best Control | Andrew Moore |
| Best Defensive Catcher | Steve Baron |
| Best Defensive Infielder | Rayder Ascanio |
| Best Infield Arm | Drew Jackson |
| Best Defensive Outfielder | Braden Bishop |
| Best Outfield Arm | Austin Wilson |
| PROJECTED 2020 LINEUP | |
| Catcher | Mike Zunino |
| First Base | Dan Vogelbach |
| Second Base | Jean Segura |
| Third Base | Kyle Seager |
| Shortstop | Drew Jackson |
| Left Field | Mitch Haniger |
| Center Field | Kyle Lewis |
| Right Field | Tyler O’Neill |
| Designated Hitter | Robinson Cano |
| No. 1 Starter | Felix Hernandez |
| No. 2 Starter | James Paxton |
| No. 3 Starter | Luiz Gohara |
| No. 4 Starter | Nick Neidert |
| No. 5 Starter | Andrew Moore |
| Closer | Edwin Diaz |
| TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Adam Jones, of | Orioles |
| 2008 | Jeff Clement, c | Did not play |
| 2009 | Greg Halman, of | Deceased |
| 2010 | Dustin Ackley, of/1b | Yankees |
| 2011 | Dustin Ackley, 2b | Yankees |
| 2012 | Taijuan Walker, rhp | Mariners |
| 2013 | Mike Zunino, c | Mariners |
| 2014 | Taijuan Walker, rhp | Mariners |
| 2015 | Alex Jackson, of | Mariners |
| 2016 | Alex Jackson, of | Mariners |
| TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE | ||
| Year | Player, Pos. | 2016 Org |
| 2007 | Phillippe Aumont, rhp | White Sox |
| 2008 | Josh Fields, rhp | Dodgers |
| 2009 | Dustin Ackley, of | Yankees |
| 2010 | Taijuan Walker, rhp (1st round supp.) | Mariners |
| 2011 | Danny Hultzen, lhp | Mariners |
| 2012 | Mike Zunino, c | Mariners |
| 2013 | D.J. Peterson, 3b | Mariners |
| 2014 | Alex Jackson, of | Mariners |
| 2015 | Nick Neidert, rhp (2nd round) | Mariners |
| 2016 | Kyle Lewis, of | Mariners |
| LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY | |
| Danny Hultzen, 2011 | $6,350,000 |
| Dustin Ackley, 2009 | $6,000,000 |
| Ichiro Suzuki, 2000 | $5,000,000 |
| Alex Jackson, 2014 | $4,200,000 |
| Mike Zunino, 2012 | $4,000,000 |
Comments are closed.