Seattle Mariners Connected to Five Top 100 International Prospects as Signing Period Looms
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners international scouting department has been one of the most stellar in the major leagues for several years.
Three of the Mariners top 10 prospects — second baseman Michael Arroyo, shortstop Felnin Celesten and outfielder Lazaro Montes — were all international signings. The organization also inked MLB Pipeline's No. 8 prospect of the 2024 class — infielder Dawel Joseph.
And it looks like Seattle's 2025 international signing class will also be stellar.
According to an article from Ben Badler of Baseball America, the Mariners are the favorites to sign five players from the publication's top 100 international prospects list. The International Signing Period begins Jan. 15.
That list includes: No. 8 Kendry Martinez, shortstop (Dominican Republic); No. 12 Yorger Bautista, outfielder (Venezuela); No. 78 Elias Perez, outfielder (Dominican Republic); No. 80 Maykol Rodriguez, outfielder (Cuba); No. 94 Po-Chun Lin, right-handed pitcher (Taiwan).
It's not shocking to see Seattle tied to several of these players. The Mariners have been rumored to be the favorites to land Martinez and Bautista for months.
New Yorger Bautista just dropped.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) December 31, 2024
16 days until international free agent signing day. pic.twitter.com/WlXqVSqWn1
Other players on the list are more intriguing. Lin pitched for Taiwan in 2023 on the international stage as a part of the country's U-18 team. He already has a fastball touching 95 miles per hour with a splitter and changeup included in his arsenal, per Badler's scouting report.
Lin Po-chun pic.twitter.com/2hgg5Z72xP
— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) January 13, 2025
Rodriguez, who was eligible to sign in the 2024 international class but chose to wait a year, is a hit-to-contact player who has solid splits against left and right-handed pitchers. He is now exclusively a left-handed batter after being a switch-hitter prior.
Perez is a compact 5-foot-10, switch-hitting outfielder with plus power and plus speed and decent bat speed to bolster both of those tools.
Seattle has the highest-possible international signing pool money for the upcoming 2025 window ($7.6 million) and will likely have no problem inking the five aforementioned prospects, plus others, to deals.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
MARINERS TRIPLE-A AFFILIATE ANNOUNCES 2025 COACHING STAFF: The Tacoma Rainiers announced the staff that will oversee what's likely to be a different team in 2025 than 2024. CLICK HERE
MARINERS SIGN DONOVAN SOLANO TO $3.5 MILLION DEAL: The Seattle Mariners signed the one-time Silver Slugger and 13-year veteran to a one-year contract. CLICK HERE
FANS, MEDIA REACT TO FORMER SEATTLE MANAGER SERVAIS' NEW ROLE: Fans of the Seattle Mariners had kind words for former manager Scott Servais after news he accepted a job with the San Diego Padres. 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.
