It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the Seattle Mariner minor league system. Featuring debuts, promotions, and everything in between, the minor leagues may be in its most exciting form of the 2025 season. Tacking on the stretch run for a handful of playoff spots up for grabs only amplifies the emotions and is sure to promise an electric last few weeks of baseball.
Tacoma Rainiers
70-56
Despite being the only team in their division with a positive run differential (+70), the Rainiers only hold a two game lead for the second
half playoff spot and will be in a battle up to the very end to hold on to it. Sacramento, their closest competition, lost some talent to recent promotions and hold a -19 differential in the second half, but they’ve been pesky all year and won’t go away quietly. They’ve got the lead, but they’ll need to keep up the quality of play in order to keep it.
Ben Williamson has been an absolute machine since being demoted in the wake of the Geno trade. Slightly tweaking his swing to be a hair more open, Williamson has been slugging at a rate we’ve never seen before and truly looks like a viable option to be the choice for the hot corner next season. Slashing .377/.477/.660 on the month (he did miss a week with back spasms), Williamson has launched as many homers in August (4) as he had his entire minor league career prior. Whether the change was physical, mental, or a little bit of both, it’s been working like a charm.
The other major name on this roster, Harry Ford has been his consistent self the past several weeks and continues to be a more than viable option for the big league roster at any point. Though it seems highly unlikely he’ll be getting the call this season, Ford remains a strong option to serve in a backup role behind Cal Raleigh and would give the team perhaps the most competent tandem of catchers in the entire league for the foreseeable future. Owner of a .236/.403/.564 slash on the month, Ford might just be the victim of his own consistency. It might not be flashy, but he gets the job done every single night and remains one of the best prospects the Mariners have in their system.
Arkansas Travelers
62-58
The Texas League North has extreme parity coming into the final few weeks of the season, currently standing with the first and last placed teams being separated by just four games. The Travs, who are tied for third, have been playing exceptionally well of late and are in the middle of a five game win streak that’s kept them on pace for a potential playoff berth. With the largest glut of prospects of any Mariner affiliate, they’re quickly becoming must-see TV.
There is no other place to start than with the one and only Lazaro Montes, perhaps the hottest hitter in all of minor league baseball over the last week and change. Rocketing 7 homers over the last 10 games, the hulking right fielder is having little trouble getting to his power in-game and is on an incredible trajectory through the minors. Still a 20 year old until late October, Montes’ production for his age is truly remarkable and makes him one of the more exciting young players across the league. The hit tool continues to lag behind the pop, but considering just how far ahead of the curve he is, he’s got more than ample time to iron out the kinks.
Jurrangelo Cijntje turned in perhaps the best start of his professional career this past Saturday night and is looking to establish a stronger foothold in the Texas league after his promotion just a few weeks ago. Working 4.2 innings on the night, Cijntje allowed two runs and struck out nine without walking a batter and looked practically unhittable for the vast majority of the start. He’s been working more and more as a right hander as of late and it seems to be paying off; Though it’s a tremendous novelty, the best course of action for Cijntje is to maximize the use of his right arm and refine his technique as much as he can. A full offseason with clearer direction seems as though it will greatly benefit the young arm and elevate his game to the next level.
Everett AquaSox
56-64
The Frogs have been having a truly miserable second half of the season, but none of that matters as they’ve already punched their ticket to the playoffs after winning the first half championship. Now with some new reinforcements, they’ll look to get things turned around come playoffs and bring home the Northwest League title.
Felnin Celesten has hit the ground running in his first action up in the PNW and is looking more and more like the prospect he’s capable of being. Already notching his first homer for the team, Celesten owns an OPS of .861 in Hi-A and has been rocketing the ball all around the ball park while playing a quality shortstop defensively. Despite the rather pedestrian back of the baseball card for 2025, there’s still a ton to dream on here and leaves him in the upper tier of the Mariner system. This kid could be special.
The big Ryan Sloan has made his way up to the AquaSox to close out the season and has logged two starts at the Hi-A level, ultimately pitching better than what his current ERA might suggest. After a stellar debut of one-run ball, Sloan got hit around a bit in his second start and fell victim to some pesky Spokane hitters that nickeled and dimed him all night. The fact the young right hander has found so much success this season is already a massive win for the system. If he’s able to get things straightened out a bit and close out the season on a high note, he’ll have little trouble entering the conversations regarding the top pitching prospects in baseball.
Modesto Nuts
64-56
The Nuts have faded in the second half after being right in the mix for the bulk of the season and currently find themselves eight games out of a playoff spot, all but officially eliminated at this point of the season. In what’s likely a melancholic swan song for Modesto baseball, the Nuts will almost assuredly not get the chance to three-peat as California League champions and will leave the city on a sadder note than it deserves. There’s still a glimmer of daylight left, but it’ll take a miraculous run for them to break through.
Recent draftee Aiden Taurek was the first amongst the 2025 class to debut as a professional, and it’s clear he’s feeling more than a little comfortable at the plate. A true hit machine, Taurek is hitting .313 in his first few weeks of affiliate ball and is walking more than he’s striking out. The power hasn’t come through just yet, but considering he’s already managed to steal six bags in 16 games, it might not matter if he doesn’t get to it all that often. If the slug ticks up at all after an offseason of professional grade training, Taurek could easily turn into yet another late round steal for this Seattle scouting department.
Another newcomer to the team, Luke Stevenson has looked good in his first taste of pro ball and is showing off some of the promising tools that got him drafted inside of the first round. The lefty-swinging catcher hasn’t yet found his power stroke, but has nonetheless performed quite well across 11 games, working to an .807 OPS. Stevenson is walking more than he’s striking out, working counts well, and has looked good behind the plate to boot. He might not have been the pick that everyone expected, but the logic behind the pick remains sound; it’s not inherently a “safe” pick (though his positional value greatly diminishes the risk), but should the warts in his profile tick up just a bit, the route to being a franchise caliber player is clear. Hopefully he’s able to unlock some things in the offseason and become the next great Mariner catcher.
That concludes the weekly recap. GOMS!!
