Why Won't the Seattle Mariners Promote Harry Ford to Major League Roster?

Ford is on fire for Triple-A Tacoma and hit another home run on Thursday, so why can't he get an opportunity with the big-league club?

Seattle Mariners catcher Harry Ford (72) reacts after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on March 8. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners prospect Harry Ford is on absolute fire at Triple-A Tacoma, but to this point, he can't get a promotion to the major league roster.

Harry Ford gets a changeup left over the plate & lasers a solo HR. pic.twitter.com/knx0Rz6Yow

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) June 13, 2025

He's now homered in back-to-back games, raising his average to .314. The number 63 prospect in the game, per MLB Pipeline, he's one of nine Top-100 prospects for the M's.

Harry Ford is heating up at the plate 🔥

The @Mariners' No. 5 prospect goes deep in consecutive games for Triple-A @RainiersLand, raising his AVG to .314 and SLG to .492: pic.twitter.com/EwjEuZstgO

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 13, 2025

A first-round pick in 2021 out of the high school ranks, Ford has represented the Mariners at the Futures Game and has played for Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic. So, why won't the M's promote him?

Here's a few possible reasons:

Cal Raleigh

Simply put, Ford is blocked by the best catcher in the sport, and he will be for the foreseeable future since Raleigh signed a six-year contract before the season started. Raleigh has 26 home runs to lead baseball and also plays most days, leaving Ford very little opportunity to catch. Why call him up if he's not going to play every day, and if he's not going to catch? Of course, he could play DH, but the M's have other options there as well, with Luke Raley slated to come back soon.

Money

Mitch Garver has continued to struggle in Seattle since signing a two-year deal before the 2024 season. He's hitting only .200 with one homer this season. There's certainly a case to be made for cutting ties with Garver, but maybe the team doesn't want to since they invested $24 million in him before last season. Even though they barely owe him more than $6 million right now, perhaps that's just too much money to eat, especially for Ford to come here only to be a backup catcher.

Trade value

Harry Ford's best position is catcher. If he comes to Seattle and doesn't catch, then you've harmed his development and his trade value. If the Mariners are going to make a splash at the trade deadline, Ford is a guy who could be a part of the package to make it happen. Showcasing him at catcher is good for his value, and therefore good for the M's.

Even though we've laid out the arguments, there is still a chance that Ford comes up. After all, he's hit well enough (.313 average, eight homers, 27 RBIs), that he could just force their hand.

The Mariners will play the Guardians on Friday night at 6:40 p.m. PT.

Related Stories on Seattle Mariners

NEW PODCAST IS OUT: Brady is back on a Friday, talking about the position that the M's front office "deserved" to get pummeled by Eugenio Suarez this week. Furthermore, he discusses Bryce Miller's injury, Luke Raley's pending return, Logan Gilbert's pending return and how the M's forfeited their big advantage in the schedule. Also, Buster Olney of ESPN stops by for a rare Friday conversation, discussing his "birds-eye" view of the M's. CLICK HERE:

DIFFERENT STORIES: Randy Johnson recently gave an interesting answer on why he chose the Arizona Diamondbacks for his Hall of Fame plaque. However, it runs counter to what Johnson said just a week ago. CLICK HERE:

FURIOUS GEORGE IS BACK: George Kirby made Mariners history on Sunday with a dominant performance against the Angels. CLICK HERE:

Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.