Is 2026 the year that Mariners prospect Jonny Farmelo breaks through?
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After a few years of hype, it's time to see what Jonny Farmelo can do. The Seattle Mariners' young outfield prospect has a tremendous upside, but his development has been slowed in his first few seasons of professional baseball. That's a situation that the 21-year-old hopes to change in 2026, as he looks to shift things into a higher gear.
He was a Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick, awarded to the M's forJulio Rodriguez winning the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Award. So, holding the 29th overall selection in the draft, they picked Farmelo out of Westfield High School in Virginia. Despite dealing wth an ACL injury in his initial season and a stress fracture in his rib cage in 2025, the team is still confident in his abilities as an eventual Major League player.
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"He’s going to be able to hit the ball on the ground and run and get to first and then steal a couple bases, get himself in scoring position," Justin Toole, the Mariners Farm Director, has stated about Farmelo. "He’s also got the ability to drive the ball out of the park. Those guys are tough, and they’re also rare to find."
Finding an outfield spot could be a waiting game
One potential setback for Farmelo is there's a logjam oftalent in the outfield for the M's for the foreseeable future. Rodriguez is one of the best players in the game, an MVP contender, and firmly entrenched in centerfield. Meanwhile, any number of veterans or proven prospects are ready to fill corner positions in left and right. Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Luke Raley, Victor Robles, and even Lazaro Montes would be considered more likely to start than Farmelo... at least in 2026.
However, if Farmelo displays the kind of brilliance that the club certainly believes he can, there's a chance we could see him make his MLB debut this season. He could serve as a depth player, especially if Seattle is stung by injuries in the outfield. It should be interesting to watch what kind of strides Farmelo makes this year, as it could shape his future with the franchise going forward.
