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Top 10
Mariners Prospects
1. Jeff Clement, Catcher, Tacoma
Clement was drafted by the
Mariners in the first round of the 2005 draft, number three
overall. He's a power hitting catching prospect who is currently
stationed in Tacoma. Jeff hits left-handed, which will be very
valuable in Safeco Field. His fielding at catcher is very
questionable at the moment, which is why he is not in Seattle
already. His bat is ML ready, but his glove is not. The Mariners
are hoping he sticks at catcher. He has plenty of time to learn.
His ETA is mid-season in 2007.
2. Adam Jones, Center Field,
Seattle
For the first time in years, the
hardest part of ranking the Minor League prospects has been
positions one and two. This time, Jones missed out on first
place honors by a hair. His story is, he was moved from Short
Stop to Center Field by the Mariners in attempt to avoid the
middle infield log jam and to fill a hole in Center Field for
the future. Jones is a true athlete, so in the long run Jones
will be fine moving to the outfield. But right now he's still
polishing up on his glove work, which leads to popular belief
among fans and scouts that the Mariners are rushing him in
bringing him to Seattle. On the other side, Jones is an awesome
hitter with good speed. Look for Jones to be in the All-Star
game in a couple of years.
3. Brandon Morrow, RHP, Inland
Empire
Brandon Morrow is the newest name
on this list, recently being tabbed the 2006 first rounder for
the M's. Morrow is a righty with an excellent fastball,
reportedly in the upper 90's. He also sports a split-finger and
a curve. Consistent command is what he needs to succeed. He's a
good size for a pitcher, 6-3 weighing in at 200 pounds. Rumor
had it that he could pitch out of the bullpen in the Majors
rather than a starting roll, but he'll most likely be a starting
pitcher. A side note: he's a diabetic, though it will most
likely not matter.
4. Chris Snelling, OF/DH, Tacoma
He's back. It seems to us Mariners
fans that Chris injures himself in some way or another every
single year. This time though, our local Australian Yoda-lover
is here to stay. Like most hitters that are successful in Safeco
Field, he's a lefty. Snelling is in the top three for the most
power in the M's system, but can also hit for average. If he
stays healthy, he has the potential to hit 30 homeruns. Oh yeah,
and he's still only 24.
5. Ryan Feierabend, LHP, San
Antonio
Feierabend is the number one left
handed pitcher in the Mariners system. He's not a power pitcher
like Morrow is, he's more of a finesse pitcher, though his best
fastball can strike the upper 80's and even 90 MPH. His control
sometimes fails him but it's something that is being improved
upon. Ever since he was drafted, he's been improving greatly on
his control, strike zone command, and his pitches. He's only
going to get better.
6. Matt Tuiasosopo, 3B, San
Antonio
Tui is one of the best overall
athletes in the Mariners system. Matt nearly played football for
the University of Washington, but was instead drafted out of
high school by the Seattle Mariners. In result, he landed a
bonus that amounted to over 2 million dollars. The Mariners are
VERY high on Tuiasosopo. Like Adam Jones, Tui was moved from
Short Stop to Third Base to avoid Betancourt and Lopez. His
power numbers haven't been particularly flabbergasting YET, but
if he follows the physical plan that his family has, he's going
to be a strong, strong guy. His defense is questionable right
now, but he's 20 years old... That's a lot of time to improve.
Like the man ahead of him on this list, he's only going to get
better.
7. Francisco Cruceta, RHP, Tacoma
The only thing that is keeping
Francisco Cruceta out of the Major Leagues is control. He's been
the best Minor League surprise for the Mariners, after being
claimed off of waivers last August from the Cleveland Indians.
He's a big guy, listed at 215 lbs and 6-2, which means it's
likely he'll stick as a starting pitcher. He's got a pretty nice
fastball, hitting 95 on the radar at its' best. Other pitches
include a good changeup, curveball, and split-finger. He'll be
the first pitcher called up if the M's needed a little more
help. He's also still 24.
8. Wladamier Balentien, OF, San
Antonio
Wladamier Balentien has the best
raw power in the system. He could probably hit over 30 homeruns
in the Majors, but still struggles to hit off-speed pitches. His
strikeout numbers are questionable. Power is a rarity in the Mariners organization,
and Balentien has a lot of it. He's a pretty big guy and has a
similar build to Manny Ramirez. Wladamier has a decent arm in the outfield,
but he'll probably
wind up at a corner. He doesn't have the speed to be a Center
Fielder.
9. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Tacoma
Choo was a very hyped prospect 2
years ago. But after a disappointing 2005 season, his stock has
dropped. Nevertheless, Choo still makes our top 10 list. Choo
bats and throws left handed. The Korean is 24 years of age and
is currently hitting in the leadoff spot for the Rainiers. He's
a confident hitter and a pretty decent fielder. The Mariners are
trying to play him at Center Field right now to fill a temporary
hole, though he may not stick there. He's been a Right Fielder
the rest of his career.
10. Mark Lowe, RHP, Seattle
Rounding out our list is Right
Handed Pitcher Mark Lowe. He's gone on quite a wild ride this
year, going from A-ball, to a couple games in San Antonio, then
all the way to Seattle. Lowe is another player the Mariners are
very high on, ever since he was taken in the 5thLowe's most
likely going to be a long relief guy. There's also the
possibility that he can become a starter, but the Mariners seem
to like him out of the bullpen.
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