Minor League Report: checking in with the Mariners’ top prospects down on the farm
Two weeks into the minor league season, here’s a quick look around the Mariners farm system to see how some of the top prospects are performing.
Tacoma Rainiers (Class AAA)
After missing all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, left-hander Roenis Elias has been outstanding in his return to the mound. Elias has made four appearances for Tacoma and has not allowed a run in five innings. He’s struck out three batters and allowed just two hits.
It’s likely the Mariners will add him to the MLB bullpen in the coming weeks as he continues to build arm strength and stamina.
Elias appeared to have pitched his way on to the 2021 opening day roster last spring training until he felt a sharp pain and discomfort during a relief appearance on March 11. He was diagnosed with torn ulnar collateral ligament. The Mariners signed him to two-year minor league contract to keep him in the organization and allow him to the rehab the injury at their facility.
Arkansas Travelers (Class AA)
The Mariners loaded up the roster with six players ranked in their organizational top 30 prospects, highlighted by pitching prospects George Kirby and Levi Stoudt.
After losing a spring-training battle for the fifth spot in the rotation to Matt Brash, Kirby, the Mariners’ top-ranked pitching prospect, has dominated hitters in the Texas League.
Working on a strict innings and pitch limits, Kirby has made three starts, posting a 1-0 record with a 1.23 ERA. In 142/3 innings, hitters are batting .196 (10 for 51) against him with three walks and 20 strikeouts.
Stoudt, who is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts with 18 strikeouts and three walks. Opponents are hitting .179 (10 for 56) against him this season.
Everett AquaSox (High A)
The Mariners’ depth of pitching prospects is also on display with the AquaSox with right-handers Isaiah Campbell, Bryce Miller (No. 23) and lefty Adam Macko (No. 11) all off to strong starts.
Campbell fell out of the organization’s top 30 after missing much of last season with elbow issues. Now healthy, he is 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in three starts. In 15 innings, he’s struck out 15 batters and walked seven.
Miller, who has a fastball that touches 100 mph, doesn’t have a decision in his two starts but has posted a 154 ERA. In 112/3 innings, he’s struck out 11 batters with three walks.
Macko, who is just 21 years old, doesn’t have a decision in three starts, but he has struck out 29 batters in 16 innings with only three walks. He struck out 10 batters in six innings in his last outing.
Shortstop Noelvi Marte, the No. 2 prospect in the organization, got off to a torrid start with a seven-game hitting streak to the open the season. But he’s cooled off of late. Coming into Saturday, he has a .231/.362/.410 slash line with a double, two homers, five RBI, seven walks and 16 strikeouts.
Modesto Nuts (Low A)
Outfielder Jonatan Clase, who is rated as the No. 20 prospect in the organization and considered one of the fastest players in the organization, has reached base in all 11 games he’s played this season. In 11 games, he has a .313/.421/.479 slash line that features 15 hits, including three doubles, a triple and a homer. He’s scored 12 runs, driven in 11 runs and stolen 11 bases.
Mariners make a minor trade
The Mariners added some outfield depth for Tacoma, acquiring outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Arizona Diamondbacks for cash considerations.
Fairchild, a Seattle native and standout at Seattle Prep, was designated for assignment by Arizona on April 19. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, infielder Kevin Padlo was designated for assignment. Fairchild, 26, is expected to join the Rainiers immediately.
A second-round pick out of Wake Forest University in 2017, Fairchild, 26, made his MLB debut in 2021, playing in 12 games for Arizona and getting two hits in 17 plate appearances. He spent most of last season with Class AAA Reno but played in just 44 games, missing significant time due to a hamstring injury and testing positive for COVID-19. He posted a .295/.385/.564 slash line with nine homers and 28 RBI.
Padlo, 25, appeared in 15 games with Triple-A Tacoma this season, posting a .173/.318/.327 slash line with two doubles, two homers, five RBIs, nine walks and 23 strikeouts.