Top 100 Seattle Mariners Prospect Jonny Farmelo Gearing For Return

SEATTLE — When the Seattle Mariners played the Cleveland Guardians on March 14 at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz., six of the organization's top 100 prospects took the field. The only prospect that didn't was Jonny Farmelo.

The 20 year-old Farmelo (No. 95 MLB Pipeline, No. 70 Baseball America) was out with a torn right ACL he suffered in a minor league game in June. He's anticipated to return midseason 2025.

Update on Jonny Farmelo, the Mariners' No. 6 prospect by @MLBPipeline: He was at T-Mobile Park last night on crutches after suffering a non-contact right knee injury on Tuesday at Single-A Modesto.

Mariners GM Justin Hollander said that they are "worried" about the situation. pic.twitter.com/Q84LygwZzQ
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) June 15, 2024

Farmelo was selected in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft with a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick. The Mariners received the selection after Julio Rodriguez won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2022.

Farmelo played 46 games for the Low-A Modesto Nuts and hit .264 with 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 25 RBIs and 18 steals before his injury.

Farmelo attended Seattle's opening week warm-up event Sunday. It's been nine months since his ACL surgery and he's already resumed baseball-related activities. Farmelo said he could get in a game in about a month, likely in the Arizona Complex League, and back in the minor leagues in "a few" months.

"Knee's doing great," Farmelo said. " ... I'm moving around, I'm swinging, I'm throwing, I'm doing a lot of everything. ... Just taking it day-by-day but it's been good."

Farmelo was a part of a stacked 2023 draft class that included Colt Emerson (who was also at the opening week warm-up event) and Tai Peete. Emerson is almost universally considered the Mariners best prospect and Peete went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer in the Spring Breakout game, All three were first-round picks and drafted out of high school.

Peete said after the game that he felt like every prospect had a spotlight that was shared between all of them, not just the top 100 prospects.

"We all love each other," Farmelo said. "It's really cool to have a group of guys that are all a similar age and we all just love playing together, love hanging out with each other. It's really cool, especially to have Colt and Tai in my draft class. A lot of times high school draft picks are kind of alone. But we have three of them in that '23 draft class. So it's pretty cool to be able to go through it all together."

Tai Peete is 3-for-3 with a 2-run blast!

What a #SpringBreakout performance for the @Mariners No. 12 prospect. 👏 pic.twitter.com/1oZxrIozUO
— MLB (@MLB) March 15, 2025

Emerson has said dealing with his own string of injuries helped him learn his body better, which helped him physically. It also provided some mental clarity not being able to play the game for an extended period of time. Fellow top 100 Mariners prospect Felnin Celesten echoed similar sentiments stemming from his own injuries a season ago.

"I've grown a lot," Farmelo said. "As a person, as a player, as well. I believe that even though I missed a lot of time, that I can come out of this injury better. And it could be a good thing, for a lack of a better word."

When Farmelo returns, he'll be back with the Modesto — a club that's adept to winning. The Nuts are coming off two consecutive California League championships.

"It's a lot of fun," Farmelo said. "I think we believe, as an organization, that the way to develop and get better is to focus on winning and competing. It's kind of a win-win. When you go out there and you're trying to win ... you're actually making yourself a better player. It's the best thing for yourself."

Farmelo is still considered a top 100 prospect despite his injury. And when he returns, a lot of eyes will be on him.

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