New Seattle Mariners International Signing Yorger Bautista Shares Message to Fans
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners pulled off one of the best signings of the 2025 international player window when they signed Venezuelan outfielder Yorger Bautista to a minor league deal with a $2.1 million signing bonus.
Bautista was considered one of the best international players in the signing window. The general consensus is that he has the potential to be a five-tool player with huge power upside.
Bautista was the second highest-ranked international player Seattle has signed in the last several years. The only player ranked above him was top 10 prospect Felnin Celesten.
The Mariners Player Development account on "X" (formerly known as Twitter) shared and translated a message that Bautista had for M's fans:
"Hey, everybody. Want to give a special shout out to the Seattle Mariners fans. I'm really happy to be able to continue to be a part of this organization. My name is Yorger Bautista and my favorite player is Ken Griffey Jr."
¡Hola, Yorger! 👋
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) January 17, 2025
International signee, Yorger Bautista, has a special message for @Mariners fans. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/92Un4uKWXR
Bautista will likely be considered one of the top prospects in Seattle's farm system this upcoming season. He could become one of the best prospects in baseball overall depending on how quickly and efficiently he grows into his tools.
MLB Pipeline, which ranked Bautista No. 6 on their top 50 international prospects list, had the following scouting report on Bautista:
Bautista’s strength pops at the dish and so does his throwing arm from the outfield. Boasting one of the strongest arms in the class, he backs that up with a plus glove. While the offensive profile may eventually lead to a corner outfield spot (likely right due to the arm strength), he will likely see some time in center as his pro career gets underway. Backing that up is the fact that he’s also an impressive runner who has been clocked at 6.4 seconds in 60-yard dash times.
New Yorger Bautista just dropped.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) December 31, 2024
16 days until international free agent signing day. pic.twitter.com/WlXqVSqWn1
Bautista's favorite player and Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. moved up quickly in the minor leagues when he was drafted out of high school in 1987. He played two seasons before getting called up to the big leagues.
It's unlikely Bautista makes an impact that fast that quick, but there is hope that he can realize his five-tool potential sooner rather than later.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
VIDEO SHOWS SEATTLE MARINERS PITCHER PUTTING IN OFFSEASON WORK: Video showed the 2023 All-Star throwing a bullpen at Cressey Sports Performance weeks before Spring Training begins. CLICK HERE
FORMER MARINERS BACKUP CATCHER CURT CASALI SIGNS WITH BRAVES: The Atlanta Braves signed the 14-year veteran backup catcher to a minor league deal. CLICK HERE
RELIEVER JOSE LECLERC LEAVES TEXAS RANGERS FOR ATHLETICS: Jose Leclerc went cross-country in the American League West and left the Texas Rangers in favor of a one-year, $10 million deal from the Athletics. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
