Here are Mariners’ Top 10 prospects in 2026, according to Baseball America
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Mariners’ farm system has been considered one of the deepest in Major League Baseball with several players in their system featured in various Top 100 lists. But how they rank within the organization can shift and change.
On Wednesday, Baseball America released its prospect rankings for the Mariners organization going into the 2026 season.
With catcher Harry Ford traded to the Nationals and infielders Cole Young and Ben Williamson no longer eligible due to their time spent at the MLB level, the list looks a little different from last year at this time.
However, the top of the list is still the same.
As expected, shortstop Colt Emerson remains atop the Mariners organizational rankings and is considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball.
Emerson, 20, will come to Major League spring training in February with a chance to make the opening day roster as the starting third baseman. With J.P. Crawford’s contract up after the 2026 season, Emerson is expected to take over as the starting shortstop in 2027.
A first-round pick in 2023, Emerson has displayed a high-level of maturity and professionalism in his two seasons of minor league baseball.
Emerson started the season in High-A Everett, made a productive stop in Double-A Arkansas, finished up his minor league season with Triple-A Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League playoffs and played in the scrimmage games as a member of the Mariners postseason taxi squad.
In 130 combined games at the minor league level this season, he posted a .285/.383/.458 slash line with 28 doubles, six triples, 16 homers, 78 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 71 walks and 105 strikeouts.
Anderson moves into the No. 2 spot without throwing a professional pitch for the Mariners. Seattle selected him with the third overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft out of LSU. He was considered the best left-handed pitcher in the draft and one of the top three pitchers overall. The Mariners felt like they got a steal when he didn’t get taken in the first two picks.
Montes moves up to third after starting last season seventh. He will likely start the season at Double-A Arkansas after finishing up the 2025 season in Little Rock. He has the most raw power of any player in the Mariners system, combining to hit 32 homers between High-A Everett and Arkansas.
Sloan was rated as the Mariners’ No. 9 prospect coming into 2025. There are many people in the organization and around baseball that believe he is Seattle’s best pitching prospect and could make his MLB debut late in the 2026 season even though he will turn 20 in January. His stuff — high 90s fastball and polished secondary pitches — and makeup profile him to be a front-of-the-rotation starter.
While Baseball America lists Arroyo as a second baseman, the Mariners are going to have him play left field in an effort to create a better path to the big leagues. He’s already started some games in the outfield during the Dominican winter leagues.
Farmelo dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 as he worked his way back from season-ending knee surgery in 2024. While he looked tentative upon his initial return, the Mariners were excited to see him play with his normal fearless aggression in the Arizona Fall League.
Cijntje moved up from No. 11 to No. 7. He is one of the few switch-pitchers in baseball. Although it’s uncertain how long he will continue to pitch from both the left and right side. The expectation is that he will eventually focus on pitching from the right side where his velocity is better — upper 90s — and his secondary pitches are more explosive.
Stevenson moves into the No. 8 spot after getting drafted out of the University of North Carolina in 2025. He is an elite defensive catcher which could help him move through the system quickly. A left-handed hitter with power, he made his professional debut with Low-A Modesto in August last season and played in 22 games.
Celesten dropped from No. 5 in 2025 to No. 9 after a somewhat disappointing season. Since signing as an international free agent in 2023, he’s struggled to stay healthy and generate consistent production. A switch-hitting shortstop with power potential, he’s shown flashes of his massive upside. In 93 games with Modesto, he posted a .285/.349/.384 slash line with 19 doubles, two triples, five homers, 55 RBI, 20 stolen bases, 37 walks and 96 strikeouts.
Peete moves into the Mariners Top 10 after converting from shortstop to outfield and producing a strong year with the Aqua Sox. He hit 19 homers in 125 games, which more than doubled the seven he hit in 2024. The big concern is 162 strikeouts in 529 plate appearances.