Young Seattle Mariners Pitcher Named Top 10 Team Prospect by Major Outlet
In this story:
Seattle Mariners fans will no doubt be hoping for a successful season in 2025 after missing out on the playoffs for the 22nd time in 23 years in 2024.
But regardless of what happens in the majors, the status of the Mariners' farm system is encouraging.
Seattle had at least five prospects ranked among the top 100 in baseball according to several different publications and websites, including Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.
And the minor league system will likely add more top-end prospects in the near future as the M's have the No. 3 pick in the looming MLB Draft.
Middle infielder Cole Young and starting pitcher Logan Evans are the two most likely minor leaguers to factor into the Mariners' major league plans in 2025. And other prospects like Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo could be behind them.
And a recent addition to the farm system was recently included in the list of the team's top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America.
Seattle selected pitcher Ryan Sloan out of high school in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He was the Mariners second overall draft pick after switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was taken in the first round.
Sloan has yet to throw a single pitch in a professional game, but Baseball America has already ranked him as Seattle's No. 9 overall prospect. The publication had the following scouting report on the 18 year-old hurler:
Sloan is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound teenager with an ideal pitcher’s frame. He’s certainly projectable and just 18 years old, but he also already has loud stuff presently. Mariners player development raves about Sloan’s progress in bullpens. He sat mid 90s with his fastball in high school, reportedly touching triple digits once, and it arrives with late armside run. The most exciting part is that Sloan’s fastball might be his third-best pitch. Both of his secondaries project as plus pitches. His breaking ball is a low-80s hybrid slurve with sharp two-plane bite. It is capable of generating whiff versus batters of either hand. His changeup is a wipeout offering versus lefthanded hitters with disappearing late fade. His control and command in the pro ranks are still relative unknowns, but he has at least shown an aggressive mentality in and around the zone in showcases.
Check out what @MLBNetwork had to say about Ryan Sloan being drafted by the @Mariners! #MLBDraft #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/3PtWu22Fez
— York High School Athletics (@YorkAthletics) July 15, 2024
Sloan are Cijntje are both expected to begin 2025 with the organization's Low-A affiliate, the Modesto Nuts. Cijntje's ambidextrous ability and Sloan's major league frame make them two of the most intriguing pitchers to watch in the farm system. Depending on how their first season in the minors goes, there's a very good chance both will continue to rise up the ranks as well.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
BASEBALL AMERICA PROJECTS INTERESTING SEATTLE MARINERS LINEUP IN 2028: Baseball America predicted the Seattle Mariners lineup for 2028 and it featured a lot of current high-potential prospects. CLICK HERE
MARINERS PROSPECT MICHAEL ARROYO GETS RECOGNIZED BY NATIONAL PUBLICATION: The Seattle Mariners middle infielder was ranked as the organization's No. 4 prospect in a new list released by Baseball America. CLICK HERE
MARINERS PROSPECT LAZARO MONTES RANKED AS TEAM'S NO. 7 PROSPECT ACCORDING TO PUBLICATION: The Seattle Mariners 2024 minor league slugger dropped a little bit in the latest top 10 prospect list released by the national publication. 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.
