The Seattle Mariners may have finished 76-86 at the big-league level, but MLB Pipeline’s latest Top 100 Prospects list offered a much brighter snapshot of the organization’s future.
Six Mariners landed on the final rankings Friday, tying the Dodgers, Rays and Orioles for the most in baseball. For a fan base hunting for something to cling to during an offseason that could include a potentially lengthy lockout, that kind of farm-system haul matters.
At the top of the group sits left-hander Kade Anderson at No. 5.
Anderson opened the year by going 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA in Double-A, then reached the majors in August against the Chicago Cubs. The transition came with some bumps, but he still showed the same stuff that carried him in the minors, finishing 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA over 35.2 innings.
He looks positioned to begin next season in the rotation, especially if Seattle deals a starter or loses one to injury. Longer term, the Mariners enter 2027 with Anderson, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Logan Evans all in need of innings.
Right behind him is right-hander Ryan Sloan at No. 11, and the upside is obvious. The 20-year-old spent the full season at Double-A, posting a 4-4 record with a 3.73 ERA in 22 starts and 101.1 innings.
He piled up 128 strikeouts and worked with upper-90s velocity. He may not be ready to shoulder a full starter’s workload in 2027, but he should still make a real impact at the major league level.
Michael Arroyo checked in at No. 41 after a strong offensive season that included a .283 average between Double-A and Triple-A. He then got a September look with the Mariners and made it count, hitting .371 with a .953 OPS in 15 games and 35 at-bats. Arroyo’s defense is the question, but his bat gives Seattle little choice but to find a way to keep him involved.
Lazaro Montes came in at No. 53 after continuing to show his power. He blasted 38 home runs in the minors before getting promoted on Sept. 1, then carried that same pop to the majors with four homers.
The average stayed low at .212, and he struck out 24 times in 52 at-bats, but the power is unmistakable. His contact will have to improve, but he should get chances next season to help out.
At No. 60 is Felnin Celesten, who was named MVP of the High-A Northwest League after hitting .314 for Everett in 80 games. He finished the year in Double-A, where he hit .171 in 30 games. The 21-year-old switch-hitter still put together his best professional season, finishing with 16 home runs and 25 stolen bases.
Rounding out the group is Jonny Farmelo at No. 83.
The 22-year-old speedster bounced back from an injury-shortened 2025 to hit .251 across Everett and Arkansas while appearing in 129 games. He added 17 home runs and 41 stolen bases, and he should be in the mix by 2028.
In Other News...
Josh Naylor's Honest Mariners Take Puts Focus On What Still Lingers
Josh Naylors first weeks with the Mariners have already given the club a clearer sense of how he views the game, and his honesty comes through in the little things as much as the big ones. The conversation around the Division Series only sharpens that lens, because in a five-game format, an early hole can feel a lot deeper than it does over a longer playoff round, and every detail starts to matter when teams are trying to keep pace.
The Mariners have been looking at those margins closely, from the baserunning basics to the kind of plays that can swing a night, including the one involving Austin Wells against the Yankees. Naylors assessment also lands in a wider baseball conversation that keeps circling back to market perceptions, including the buzz around Munetaka Murakami, but for Seattle the lingering question is simpler and more immediate: whether the club can turn those small corrections into something sturdier before the postseason pressure rises again. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Offseason Could Open A Massive Door For The Mariners
Houstons abrupt playoff exit has only sharpened the sense that a familiar power structure in the American League West could be on the verge of shifting. Even after finishing 81-81, the Astros still won the division, but the season also underscored how much of the roster is built around an aging core and a wave of looming contract questions. For the Mariners, who finished 76-86, that matters because the gap between the two clubs looked smaller in stretches than the standings suggested.
Seattles path back into the race has long depended on more than just improving its own roster. It also depends on whether the teams ahead of it stay sturdy, and the Astros now face an offseason that could force some hard organizational choices. The Mariners had their moments against Houston this year, and if the divisions most established club starts to turn over key pieces, Seattle suddenly finds itself staring at a much more open lane than it had a month ago. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Prospects Just Hit A Test That Could Change The Conversation
Jonny Farmelo and Felnin Celesten earned a move from High-A Everett to Double-A Arkansas after strong early performances, a promotion that usually signals a prospect is closing in on the next conversation around big-league value. For the Mariners, the jump mattered because both players had been drawing real attention inside the system, and each still sits among the organizations top-100 prospects even after the latest MLB Pipeline update.
The first taste of Double-A, though, has been less forgiving. Their rankings slid in the latest top 100 refresh as the level of pitching sharpened and the offense backed up, with more strikeouts and less production than they showed before the move. For Seattle, the question now is less about whether the talent is still there and more about how quickly Farmelo and Celesten can adjust to the test that often separates promising names from the ones who stay on track. [Read more 🡒]