Minor League Baseball

WATCH: Top 100 Seattle Mariners Prospect Harry Ford Goes Against Strong-Armed Pitcher

In the first joint practice of spring training, Harry Ford went against one of the team's strongest relievers, Shintaro Fujinami.
Teren Kowatsch|
Great Britain catcher Harry Ford runs after a double during a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico on March 14, 2023, at Chase Field.
Great Britain catcher Harry Ford runs after a double during a World Baseball Classic game against Mexico on March 14, 2023, at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners' elite farm system will be on display for fans who attend spring training at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz.

The Mariners have seven top 100 prospects, according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. And several of them received invitations to big league camp. And it didn't take long for those prospects to be tested.

The first day of joint practice between pitchers and position players was held Feb. 18. And at least one of those highly-touted minor leaguers was tested against one of the strongest arms on the team.

Catcher Harry Ford had a live at-bat against reliever Shintaro Fujinami without fielders. Strikes, balls, fair balls and ground outs were determined by coaches. Based on the video, Ford grounded out to end the at-bat.

Ford was Seattle's first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Since he was selected by the Mariners, he's been one of the most well-regarded prospects in the organization. He competed for Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is a two-time participant in the MLB All-Star Futures game.

Last year with the Double-A Arkansas Travelers, Ford hit .249 with seven home runs, 45 RBIs and 35 steals. He's expected to begin 2025 with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

Fujinami was signed by Seattle to a minor league contract in the offseason after spending all of 2024 in the minor leagues for the New York Mets. He came over from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball before the 2023 season and was used as a starter and reliever with the Oakland Athletics before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

Fujinami had a 4.85 ERA in 30 appearances with the Orioles and struck out 32 batters in 29.2 innings pitched in 2023.

There's a chance that the Rainiers will heavily feature Fujinami in 2025. He'll have a chance to make the major league bullpen, depending on if he shows better command with his velocity in spring training.

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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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