Sloan might have gone in the second round of the 2024 Draft, but he has first-round stuff, and the Mariners thought so too, giving him an over-slot bonus of million to sign. He’s big (6-foot-5) with an intriguing combination of stuff and polish, showing the ability to manipulate a fastball that touches 99 mph, a really good changeup and an excellent slider.Baseball America lists seven Mariners in the top 100, with Colt Emerson at No. 16, followed by Cole Young at 56, Jonny Farmelo at 70, Michael Arroyo at 77, Felnin Celesten at 89 and Lazaro Montes sneaking in at 98. Times reporter Adam Jude broke down each of the seven prospects on that list here. The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.While there has been plenty of consternation over the Mariners’ lack of activity this offseason, one consistent bright spot has been the almost universal praise of their farm system.

Mariners prospects in top-100 rankings

Here’s a roundup of where Mariners prospects landed on baseball’s top prospect lists.

Here’s some of what Law wrote about the Mariners: “The Mariners placed six prospects on the top 100, one on the just missed column, and the next two guys after the just missed group (as in, if I’d had time to keep adding guys to that piece rather than moving on to write this and the top 20s) were actually both Mariners, as well. They’ve drafted extremely well in the last seven years, at least, and their last three international free agent classes all look very good out of the chute. … This ranking comes after they traded two guys who would have been in their top 15 in the Randy Arozarena trade, making it even more impressive that they can still rank up here. The Mariners were ranked 28th going into 2017, then dead last going into 2018, which feels like a lifetime ago for so many reasons; they were second going into 2022, but I believe this is the first time I’ve ever had them on top.“
Scroll through each of the top prospect rankings that came out this winter and you’ll find future Mariners all over the place. They were among the worst in baseball in those same rankings just a few years ago but have reloaded in short order — a testament to the organization’s draft and development strategy.MLB Pipeline: 7 Mariners in the top 100, tied for most in baseball with the CubsEmerson was the highest Mariner on McDaniel’s list, ranked at No. 12 overall. Jonny Farmelo was next on his list at No. 45, followed by Cole Young at No. 57, Harry Ford at 59 and Felnin Celesten at 77. One notable omission on this list was Lazaro Montes, who wasn’t ranked among the top 100.


It’s anyone’s guess how many of those prospects turn into stars — or even contributors — at the big league level. But for now, these rankings offer fans a chance to dream.MLB.com highlights RHP Ryan Sloan as a Mariners prospect to watch outside the top 100.Baseball America: 7 Mariners in the top 100, more than any team in baseballHere’s a compilation of where Mariners prospects rank according to the national rankers.Kylie McDaniel of ESPN ranks 5 Mariners in the top 100.Keith Law of The Athletic ranks the Mariners’ farm system No. 1 in baseball.

Seattle Times sports staff.