Minor League Baseball

Seattle Mariners Executive Jerry Dipoto Highlights Ryan Sloan as Prospect to Watch

The Mariners 2024 second-round pick was mentioned by the organization's president of baseball operations as a potential breakout player in a recent podcast appearance.
Teren Kowatsch|
A Seattle Mariners hat and glove is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Detroit Tigers on May 12, 2018, at Comerica Park.
A Seattle Mariners hat and glove is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Detroit Tigers on May 12, 2018, at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have many minor leaguers to keep an eye on in 2025.

The Mariners have seven prospects ranked in Baseball America and MLB Pipeline's respective top 100 rankings. And more minor leaguers could be featured on those lists before 2025 comes to an end.

Seattle's top 100 players are mostly comprised of position players. Somewhat shocking considering their reputation for developing pitchers. The Mariners went heavy into adding pitching in the 2024 MLB Draft.

The Mariners used their first-round pick last year to select switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje out of Mississippi State. They took strong-armed right-hander Ryan Sloan out of high school with their second-round pick.

And according to Seattle's president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, Sloan could be the prospect to keep an eye out for in 2025.

Dipoto went on the Over-Slot podcast, hosted by Joe Doyle, on Feb. 10 and went into detail about the organization's excitement to see Sloan pitch in professional competition:

"The guy we haven't seen throw live since he competed in competition was Ryan Sloan," Dipoto said. "The feedback from Sloan has been just phenomenal. And again, it's a second round pick, one of the best high school arms in last year's draft. But it's power, it's precision, it's four pitches, it's great makeup. He's been a standout in the early going."

Dipoto also talked about an under-the-radar prospect, Christian Little, who the Mariners drafted in the 11th round of the 2024 Draft out of LSU:

"I think the Logan Evans — the guy that maybe few have heard of, or if you look at his collegiate performance — wouldn't really stack up with what we're seeing right now is Christian Little, who we took in the 11th round out of LSU," Dipoto said. "Christian had a history of really good stuff and a difficult time translating it to consistent performance. And he has been an early standout in just about every way. Right now we're going through what is now our shove camp, used to be called our gas camp, and our best pitching prospects are all down in Arizona doing their thing."

Seattle's 2024 draft class is already yielding results. Both in the major and minor leagues. Third-round pick Hunter Cranton received an invite to spring training and could have a chance at making the team as a reliever.

And if Sloan, Little and other pitchers selected in 2024 impress in the minors, the Mariners could have an amazing influx of talent at all levels in years to come.

Those interested in hearing Doyle's full conversation with Dipoto can subscribe to the Over-Slot Patreon here.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

Teren Kowatsch is a staff writer for ''Minor League Baseball on SI'' and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He has been a writer for “On SI’’ for two years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. You can follow him on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch

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