Minor League Baseball

Seattle Mariners International Pitching Prospect Enters Team's Top Prospect Rankings

Chia-Shi Shen was recently recognized for his dominant stretch in the Arizona Complex League.
Teren Kowatsch|
A Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park.
A Seattle Mariners Armed Forces Day hat is pictured in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves on May 20, 2023, at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

One of the Seattle Mariners most intriguing minor leaguers is starting to get recognized for the dominant start to his professional career.

Right-handed pitcher Chia-Shi Shen was named the Mariners No. 30 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Shen was promoted to the organization's top 30 list due to Ben Williamson's graduation.

MLB Pipeline had the following scouting report on Shen:

A 6-foot-3 hurler with a starter profile, Shen has a solid frame and displays excellent athleticism on the mound. The stuff may not wow anyone, but his feel for pitching might. He’ll typically sit around 92 mph with his fastball and can touch 95. He has an above-average changeup he sells well with good deception. He has feel for spinning a slider, but there’s not quite enough power or bite on the breaker just yet.

The 21-year-old Shen was signed as an international prospect out of Taiwan on July 9, 2024. He made his professional debut in the Arizona Complex League on May 9. In three appearances (two starts), Shen has a 1.38 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 13 innings. He's walked just one batter and has allowed three runs (two earned) on 10 hits. In his most recent start on May 23, Shen fanned six batters in five innings,, walked one and allowed one earned run on four hits.

Shen's journey to the U.S. has had several hurdles. He originally agreed to a deal with the Athletics worth a reported $350,000 on Nov. 12, 2022, but that deal fell through due to unknown reasons. The Mariners made attempts to sign him after the deal, but off-the-field issues kept Shen in Taiwan.

Now that Shen is in the U.S., he's showing what made him a coveted international prospect.

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MARINERS HIGH-A PITCHER RECOGNIZED FOR STELLAR MONTH: Former 2022 draft pick Ashton Izzi received his flowers in a recent story for his torrid start to the season in May. CLICK HERE

MARINERS EXEC EXPLAINS FELNIN CELESTEN'S ABSENCE: Mariners general manager Justin Hollander clarified the top 100 prospect's status after he missed nearly two weeks of action. CLICK 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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