By: Rich Douglas
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The Mariners arguably have the best system in the majors due to the depth of their prospects at multiple positions and the high ceilings that the most prominent ones have. Seattle is already turning it around at the major league level, and should be a force in the next 5 years as they now combine a mix of willingness to spend money (King Felix and they tried to steal Josh Hamilton) and develop prospects (Seager, Ackley).
Top Prospect
Michael Zunino - The 22 year old power hitting catcher is somehow under the radar as he showed last year that he is arguably ready for the majors. The Mariners have Jesus Montero at catcher with the big league squad, but Zunino may push Montero into the DH slot (something he probably would prefer anyways) as the Mariners may be forced to promote him sooner than later. Zunino split time at 3 different levels last season and absolutely crushed pitching at every one of them. He has good plate discipline and did a good job at recognizing breaking pitches which led to his ridiculous slugging of .614. The Mariners will eventually have to make a decision, but for the time being, they'll have an embarrassment of riches at arguably the most key position on the field.
Top Pitcher
Danny Hultzen - The big lefty was the second overall pick in the 2012 draft, and showed excellent poise as he made his way through the minors. Unfortunately, Hultzen seemed to hit a wall against more advanced batting in Triple A as it seemed to affect the way he pitched. Hultzen ended the year with an impressive 9.87 K/9 but walked 5.44 per 9. He's got a good fastball that sits in the low 90s, but his best pitch is definitely his changeup as he'll use it as his primary out pitch. His command needs to be worked on to set up his out pitch, while his slider is developing, but Hultzen may be ready for the majors sooner than later. He should at the very least become a back of the rotation starter, but may turn into a #2.
Bronze Medal
Nick Franklin - The 22 year old projects as a solid middle infielder with a good approach to the plate, excellent speed, and solid defense. Franklin's arm may eventually move him over to 2nd base, but his instincts will keep him as a good fielder at the major league level. With Dustin Ackley having a stronghold on 2nd base, Franklin will probably be given a long look at short since the Mariners could use his surprising gap power in their lineup. Franklin needs to lower his strikeout numbers, but certainly is a future major leaguer.
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