Prospect Assignments & What's Next
All four full-season affiliates have kicked off their season.
With the Everett AquaSox getting their season underway Friday, all four Mariners’ affiliates have started their 2026 schedules, and most of the club’s top prospects have made an appearance.
Among those who have yet to through Friday’s games:
Ryan Sloan, RHP — Makes his debut Saturday for Double-A Arkansas
Yorger Bautista, OF — Extended spring training, likely starts his season in the Arizona Complex League in a few months
Nick Becker, SS — Extended spring training, likely starts his season in ACL
Griffin Hugus, RHP — Will miss the season due to UCL surgery
Juan Rijo, OF — Extended spring training, will start his season in the DSL
Chia-Shi Shen, RHP — Extended spring training (elbow)
Leandro Romero, SS — Extended spring training, likely starts season in ACL
Teddy McGraw, RHP — Extended spring training (elbow)
Marcelo Perez, RHP — Extended spring training (forearm)
It’s worth noting Grant Knipp (DH/RHR) is expected to return later this season after having UCL surgery a year ago. He’s not currently ranked in my Top 50. Ruddy Navarro is on the same path. Don’t forget that name, he’s been my sleeper for two years.
For purposes of my in-season prospect rankings & updates moving forward, players out long-term due to injury will be removed from the equation until they return. Players must be active or on what’s believed to be a short-term IL stint to be eligible.
The most eye-popping assignment is Sloan to Double-A. He’s 19 years old, but has good stuff, is improving at a rapid rate, and is destined to pass his Travelers teammate Kade Anderson in the rankings in 2026.
The club could have justified starting both in High-A Everett, but it seems Arkansas is the appropriate challenge. It’s not about the level, it’s about the actual competition of the league.
Anderson went four scoreless in his pro debut Friday, throwing 43 of his 59 pitches for strikes, walking one and striking out six of the 18 batters he faced. He did allow five hits, but all were singles, and only a few were solidly struck. He was mostly 93-94 mph, and mixed in sliders and curveballs. He struck out the first batter he faced as a pro, making a very tough batter to strike out in Joshua Kuroda-Grauer look silly.
The Arkansas roster also boasts Lazaro Montes (No. 7), Michael Arroyo (8), Charlie Beilenson (20), Michael Morales (32), Jared Sundstrom (35), and Tyler Cleveland (42).
Arroyo hit a solo home run in this one, as did Sundstrom. Sundstrom’s was an absolute bomb.
Up in Triple-A, it’s No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson’s world, but RHRs Alex Hoppe (15), Yosver Zulueta (16), and lefty Robinson Ortiz (18) are living in it. Righty reliever Cole Wilcox (21) is in the majors at the moment and has thrown enough strikes to stay for the time being. Utility man Brock Rodden (25) is with the Rainiers, too, as is RHR Troy Taylor (27), and OF Rhylan Thomas (39). Ryan Bliss (33) started the year with the big club and is now back in Tacoma after the return of J.P.
Crawford to active duty.
It’s not a prospect-laden roster but it has a lot of potential help stewing for the parent club.
In High-A, Felnin Celesten (4), Jonny Farmelo (5), and Luke Stevenson (6) lead the cast. I was hoping for a small handful of picks from the 2025 Draft class to land with the Sox, but Hugus is hurt and out, and two of the other three were left back in Single-A to get things started. Nothing too surprising.
Right-handed reliever Lucas Kelly (17) did get to Everett, as did fellow righties Christian Little (19), Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (36), Brock Moore (40), Walter Ford (43), catcher Josh Caron (31), first baseman Luis Suisbel (26), and outfielder Carlos Jimenez (45).
Farmelo and Celesten each reached base twice, Stevenson singled in four trips to the plate, and Lunsford-Shenkman struck out three and two near-perfect innings out of the pen. He entered the season with just 6.1 innings under his belt after missing almost all of 2025.
I don’t expect the Mariners to be aggressive with the bats in Everett from a promotion standpoint, but a standard time frame for all of them remains within the season. The relief group could easily see Arkansas this season, too.
Outfielder Korbyn Dickerson (12) and lefty Mason Peters (13) are the top-ranked prospects on the Single-A Inland Empire roster. The 66ers also opened with catcher Grant Jay (28), right-hander Aiden Butler (30), and infielder Dervy Ventura (46).
Peters started Friday and fanned five over four frames. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk. He was 90-93 with a pretty good breaker. He whiffed the first batter he faced in his pro career. Dickerson went yard, and Jay went 2-for-3.
Both Peters and Dickerson have a real chance to see Everett later this season, perhaps as a few of the better talents from the ACL earn their way to the Cal League.
Romero, Becker, and Bautista are names to watch in that regard, and I’d expect one or more of the club’s draft picks to fit into the mix with the 66ers.
It’s reasonable to believe as many as nine of my current Top 9 prospects in the Mariners’ system finish the year in Double-A or higher, including the majors.
