Mariners prospects shine in annual Spring Breakout game
By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker
Goodyear, AZ - The Seattle Mariners top prospects were the stars of the show tonight, as they battled a group of the Cleveland Guardians top prospects in the annual Spring breakout game which started last season. 12 of the 13 top ranked Mariners prospects (Jonny Farmelo did not participate as he continues rehabbing a torn ACL suffered last season with the Modesto Nuts) participated in this year’s event, including the top 5 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Last seasons event was a fun one, taking place against the Mariners’ Vedder Cup rivals and Peoria Sports Complex neighbors in the San Diego Padres, as names like Ben Williamson, Ryan Bliss, and Marcelo Perez impressed amongst others which you can read about by clicking here. This year’s game was exciting all the way from the first pitch, as the future of the Mariners organization was once again on full display thanks to this showcase
The matchup was a good one against the Cleveland Guardians top farm system players. Unfortunately, the Mariners fell in this game by a score of 8-7 in terms of the final result. This was a bit of a sloppy game, with the Mariners committing three errors in the field, and the Guardians committing two for a collective five on the night. The Mariners had eleven hits, while Cleveland had racked up 12.
Logan Evans started the game on the mound for the Mariners, and had an easy first two innings. His troubles came in the third frame, where he allowed four runs on six hits, walking one. It’s a tough way to end an otherwise strong outing for Evans, who showed well in his previous appearance this Spring as he looks to continue bouncing back from a tough beginning of Spring Training which has resulted in his ERA ballooning over 15. Brandyn Garcia took over after 2024 5th round pick Charlie Beilenson got a productive two outs, giving up one unearned run while striking out the side but did throw two wild pitches. Garcia and Evans are fun names to watch in the Mariners system, as they both earned some high praise this past season, so be sure to keep an eye on them this year as they continue their baseball journey.
2024 first round pick and ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje dazzled in the 5th and 6th innings, allowing an unearned run, two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He pitched from both sides of the mound, getting 2024 first overall pick Travis Bazzana to ground out. He then switched to the right hand side and touched 99 MPH. MLB socials were all over him tonight, and for good reason as Cijntje should be a player that dazzles not only with his skill on the mound but also for the fact that he throws with both arms. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said on the television broadcast that the working plan is to start him primarily as a right handed pitcher who may or may not go through a pocket of righties one time as a left handed pitcher. While the velocity is clearly higher with his right hand, there is still quality when throwing with his left hand and watching what Jurrangelo does in his baseball career will be fascinating because of his unique style.
The Mariners second round pick in 2024, Ryan Sloan, struggled a bit in his lone inning tonight. While he did strike out two batters in his appearance, he allowed three hits, two runs (one earned). Sloan is still just 19 years old, and has not pitched yet as a professional, so this isn’t necessarily surprising to see but does showcase that there is work to be done for the young hurler. He touched 97 with his fastball, and had a wicked slider to get one of his two punch outs. Like Cijntje, the stuff is undeniable for Sloan but getting into the Mariners pitching lab as an organization will be big for him to hone his craft and turn into a real professional pitcher as opposed to just someone with raw talent.
The brightest star was 12th ranked prospect Tai Peete. Peete went 3-3 with a two-run home run, scored twice, and stole a base to showcase the kind of talent he has that excited Seattle’s scouting department so much when they took him in the 2023 draft. He started tonight in center field, and put on a show for the fans tonight at Goodyear Ballpark. The Mariners also got a two-run home run from their 24th ranked prospect Jared Sundstorm, showcasing some of the thump that should be coming for Seattle in the next few years through their farm system. Infield prospect Michael Arroyo also had a two-run triple, but did commit a crucial error on a double play attempt. The top end prospects all contributed in this one. Cole Young, Felnin Celesten, Colt Emerson and Harry Ford all had base hits in this one while Luis Suisbel had a double.
Overall, this was a really fun game. I thoroughly enjoyed the game all of the way through, as watching the future stars that could be wearing Mariners jerseys for years to come is really exciting. MVP of the night obviously goes to Tai Peete with his hitting clinic he put on tonight, and once he’s able to showcase his personality a bit more (Which the Mariners front office likened to Julio Rodriguez, if that tells you how fun he can be as a person) he should become a quick favorite for Seattle fans.
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Check out our previous Seattle Mariners articles here.
Check out our previous articles with writing by Jeffrey Nooney here. Check out his previous work with Sodo Mojo by clicking here.
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