By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker

Seattle, WA - Spring Training is right around the corner. Normally, this is the time where fans are the most excited about their team. Everybody is in first place, there are not many injuries to worry about, and it means that Opening Day is almost here. Unfortunately, this was a very frustrating offseason for Seattle Mariners fans. From a lack of moves, to almost spending no money at all, the Mariners still seem to have the exact same problems they had last season.

I get it, and I share my frustrations with Mariners fans. They really only added two players to the roster, and one of those two was on the team last season. The issues are glaring: Strikeouts and inconsistency. Players like Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena struck out over 4% more than their career averages before playing in Seattle. Not to mention Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Luke Raley and the two Mitch’s, this team is poised to strike out at a record setting pace again in 2025.

I know I sound pessimistic, but the Mariners do have a lot going in the right direction. The starting rotation remains one of the best in all of baseball, and the bullpen will be better this year. Matt Brash will be back at some point in the early months, which gives the Mariners another anchor in the back of the bullpen. A healthy Brash and Andrés Muñoz has proven to be an absolute solid back end of the bullpen. Couple them with the likes of Trent Thornton, Gregory Santos and the surprising Collin Snider, the pitching staff as a whole could be even better in 2025 than it was in 2024. With all that said, here are a few players and position groups I’m keeping an eye on in Spring Training this year for the Mariners.

Tyler Locklear, Seattle Mariners first baseman prospect, hit his first MLB home run on June 13th, 2024 against the Chicago White Sox in a game at T-Mobile Park. (Photos by Rio Giancarlo for Circling Seattle Sports)

Tyler Locklear, 1B

Tyler Locklear made his pro debut last season, appearing in just 16 games for the Mariners. He is the #6 ranked prospect for the Mariners according to MLB Pipeline. He struggled in his brief stint with the Mariners, slashing just .156/.225/.311/.536 with an OPS+ of 57. Locklear started the season in AA Arkansas before being promoted to AAA Tacoma, where he hit really well. He struck out in 40.8% of his plate appearances in Seattle, up from his 29.3% strikeout rate in the minors. He has had problems with strikeouts since the Mariners have drafted him and this is a concern for Locklear going forward as he’s been viewed by some as the future of the first base position for Seattle.

With a hot Spring, he could factor into a weak side platoon at first base with Luke Raley. He has shown some power throughout the minors, and even hit two home runs at the Major League level. His two home runs came off of some solid pitchers, Garrett Crochet, formerly of the White Sox and Jose Leclerc of the Texas Rangers. Locklear would need to cut down significantly on the strikeouts, and show some more pop if he were to make the team out of spring. He will be fighting with Donovan Solano and Raley for playing time at the position there.

Mitch Garver, initially brought in to be the teams designated hitter, featured as the Seattle Mariners backup catcher from around the middle of the season through the year and seems to be poised to retain that role this year. (Photos by Kevin Ng for Circling Seattle Sports)

Backup catcher role

We all know that Cal Raleigh would play 162 games if he could. The problem is, the catching position is the toughest on the body in all of baseball and that’s become apparent with Raleigh getting dinged up often in his time with the Mariners so far. When one of your best players is a catcher, you need to have a solid enough backup to make it through all 162. Last year, the Mariners started the season with Seby Zavala, who was one of the worst players in the league. The Mariners signed Mitch Garver, a former catcher, with the intent to be the everyday DH because of his injury history. He ended up catching more than the Mariners had planned, and they may want to keep him at DH as he looks for a bounce back season this year.

Currently, the only catchers on the 40 man roster are Raleigh, Garver and Blake Hunt. Hunt has not made his Major League debut yet, but with a good spring he is likely to make the team. Hunt was acquired from Tampa Bay prior to the 2024 season in a minor-league catcher swap, but was traded to Baltimore in May for right handed reliever Mike Baumann. Hunt was then reacquired from the Orioles in January for cash considerations. He is an older prospect at 26 years old, and is not currently ranked in the Mariners top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline.

Hunt has a career slash line of .241/.318/.391/.708 throughout the minors. If Hunt were to make the team, he would need to have shown enough offensively, and create a rapport with the starting staff. Raleigh will always be the primary catcher, but we did see Garver down the stretch catch George Kirby’s starts and ultimately the entire rotation as the year went along. Kirby seemed to prefer Garver, so if Hunt can beat out Garver, he could see some serious playing time and get Garver out of a situation that could get him hurt again.

Other catchers invited to Spring Training include top prospect Harry Ford, journeyman Jacob Nottingham and a few others. Ford spent all of 2024 in AA Arkansas, where he hit .249/.377/.367/.745 with seven home runs and 35 stolen bases. Ford would be the most exciting player to make the team out of Spring, but his chances are unlikely as it appears the Mariners want him to continue his track for development with a full year at the AAA level. He is still just 22 years old, and while I do not expect him to break camp with the Mariners, he is one or two injuries away from making it to the show. He is the #4 prospect in the Mariners system, according to MLB Pipeline.

Veteran relief pitchers

The Mariners pitching lab always seems to find the diamonds in the rough. Remember Paul Sewald, Kendall Graveman, Justin Topa, Erik Swanson and Trent Thornton? These were all guys who had failed somewhere else, and were brought to Seattle for next to nothing. Sewald and Graveman were both closers, who ended up being dealt away for pieces that were supposed to make the team better long term. The same can be said about Topa and Swanson. This year, the Mariners have not added to their bullpen with significant names. However, they have added intriguing players with upside as non-roster invitees.

Shintaro Fujinami is the one I am most excited about. He came over from Japan and signed with the Oakland Athletics in 2023. He came over as a starter, but struggled mightily with his walks. His 7.18 ERA in 2023 is bad, but his FIP was a much better 4.61. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline in 2023, and finished the year there. He signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets in 2024, but injuries kept him from pitching at the Major League level. Fuji’s fastball averages 98.4 MPH, with puts him in the 97th percentile. If he is healthy, and can cut down on the walks, Fujinami could be a monster for the Mariners that pitching coach Pete Woodworth and the staff are surely excited to get their hands on.

Another name I am excited about is Drew Pomeranz. He has not pitched in the Majors since 2021, and has not had a full year of health since 2019. The former All-Star is looking to see if he still has anything left in the tank, and if he does, the Mariners could really use him. He is a lefty, something the Mariners have been looking for now for a while. Gabe Speier has been inconsistent for a while now, and they let go of J.T. Chargois this offseason after re-acquiring him around the trade deadline this past year. If healthy, Pomernaz is a guy I have my eyes on.

The last player I am excited to see pitch is Neftali Feliz. Feliz is so fascinating, because he has not pitched at the Major League level since 2021. And before 2021, he had not pitched since 2017! He has pitched in just eight innings in the last eight seasons! EIGHT! Once a top prospect, Feliz was a key member of the Texas Rangers during their prime years from 2009-2011. Injuries have plagued Feliz his entire career. He pitched in just 14 games between 2013 and 2014 due to injury. I can’t remember a player who missed four seasons, came back to pitch, then missed four more season before coming back again. His story will be “must watch” TV throughout the spring.

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Check out our previous Seattle Mariners articles here.
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