Kevin Goldstein recently wrote up his list of the top ten Mariner prospects in his latest Future Shock column. None of the Mariners fall in the “excellent” category but there’s some interesting names and the final prognosis (lack of depth and star power) is a little discouraging. Still, there are some guys to keep an eye on here.
Coming in at number one is centerfielder Adam Jones. The Mariners first round pick in 2003 played mostly in Triple A but he did get a call up where struggled at the plate. His biggest weakness is patience at the plate though and it looks like Jones is slated for one more season down in the minors. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jones got an extended look on the Mariners though.
Number two is catcher Jeff Clement who looks like he could be a solid catcher yet faces a road block. He split time between Double A and Triple A and it looks like he’ll return for a stint at Triple A.
Brandon Morrow comes in at number three and he’s the top pitching prospect. Morrow was the Mariners first round pick this last season and he had a solid yet short stint in the rookie league. This kid has a long way to go but it looks like he’s skipping a couple of levels and he’ll be starting 2007 at Double A.
Two pitchers round out the top five. Lefty Tony Butler and righty Chris Tillman comes in at numbers four and five.