Minor League Baseball

Top 100 Seattle Mariners Prospect Michael Arroyo to Compete On WBC Qualifying Team

The Mariners middle infielder will compete this spring on Colombia's 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifying roster.
Teren Kowatsch|
A Seattle Mariners hat and glove is pictured before a game against the Detroit Tigers on May 12, 2018, at Comerica Park.
A Seattle Mariners hat and glove is pictured 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 are considered to have one of the best farm systems in the sport. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both have seven Mariners minor leaguers ranked in their respective top 100 lists.

Several of those prospects received invitations to spring training as non-roster invitees. And one of those players will have a couple days off from spring activities as he represents his country in one of the biggest international competitions in baseball.

Seattle middle infielder Michael Arroyo (No. 77 Baseball America, No. 98 MLB Pipeline) will be a part of Colombia's 2026 World Baseball Classic roster for the qualifying rounds. Colombia will play from March 2-6 in the Tucscon, Ariz., pool — roughly a two-hour drive from the Mariners' spring training facility in Peoria, Ariz. Colombia will compete against Brazil, China and Germany in the qualifying round.

Arroyo was one of Seattle's biggest breakouts of 2024. He played 120 games split evenly among the franchise's Low-A Modesto Nuts and High-A Everett AquaSox. He hit .285 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs. His batting average improved from .279 in Low-A to .290 in High-A. His 23 homers led prospects across the minor leagues who were 19 years-old or younger.

The only other top 100 prospect the Mariners have that's competed in the World Baseball Classic was catcher Harry Ford. He was a part of Great Britain's roster in the 2023 WBC.

Many of Seattle's top 100 prospects are middle infielders. Arroyo has already exceeded expectations many had for him in the last 12 months. And it will be interesting to see how he does against another kind of competition unique to the WBC.

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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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