Mariners Next Breakout Prospect Might Already Be Hiding Below Their Biggest Names

The Mariners’ next rising prospect might be coming from a few layers below the obvious names.

Oct 2, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Justin Hollander, the new Seattle Mariners General Manager is interviewed prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Yorger Bautista is making it harder for Mariners fans to think of him as just a name buried in the lower levels. First, he’s nowhere close to the big leagues. So we can’t group him into the Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes, or Michael Arroyo universe. But he’s still doing the exact thing you’d want from a prospect in a complex-league.

He’s 18. Playing in the Arizona Complex League with a lot of projection already baked into his profile. Seattle signed the Venezuelan outfielder for $2.1 million in 2025 because the physical upside was something to dream on. Enough athleticism to see in center field, but an arm that makes right field a cleaner fit. 

The concern was more if the bat could get over the finish line.

In his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, Bautista hit .223 and struck out 29.8 percent of the time. That’s too much swing and miss. Power only travels so far if pitchers can keep finding holes.

So far in 2026, he's slashing .254/.329/.448 in his first 18 games.

That is why his 2026 performance is capturing attention. He's slashing .254/.329/.448 in his first 18 games.

110.2 mph off the bat for Yorger Bautista 👀

The @Mariners' No. 10 prospect homers in Spring Breakout. pic.twitter.com/OWH01r58aH

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 21, 2026

Yorger Bautista’s Contact Jump Is What Makes This Mariners Breakout Feel Different

The power numbers are also ridiculous. Bautista’s average exit velocity has jumped from 89.1 mph to 93.2 mph. His 90th percentile exit velocity has climbed from 105.4 mph to 109.1 mph. And his max exit velocity has reached 117.3 mph.

That’s not normal for an 18-year-old. But it’s not just that Bautista is hitting the ball harder. We already knew he had pop. The better development is that he’s making more contact.

His in-zone contact rate has gone from 62.4 percent in 2025 to 81 percent in 2026, and the strikeout rate has come down with it, from 29.8 percent to 22 percent. He’s getting to more pitches he should hit and missing less often.

However, the contact rate has dipped from 75.8 percent to 71.2 percent, showing there’s still swing-and-miss and risks of chasing pitches. But that doesn’t make his progression meaningless.

The Mariners already have the headliners. There’s no reason to have any pressure on him yet. The good sign is that he’s no longer just sitting in the background. As the Mariners top prospects are steadily climbing to graduation, it gets more interesting to see their lower-level athletes begin to make significant gains. Bautista’s tools were already loud enough. Now the contact improvement gives those tools a much better chance to play long-term.