Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto’s check-in on prospect standouts Noelvi Marte and Emerson Hancock

The Mariners have so many promising young players both on their major league roster and in their farm system that it can be a bit of a challenge to keep up on them all.

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Luckily, 710 ESPN Seattle’s weekly Jerry Dipoto Show with the Mariners general manager allows us the opportunity to get regular updates from the man who’s keeping a closer eye on Seattle’s prospects than anybody.

On this week’s edition of the show, which airs live at 8:30 a.m. each Thursday during 710’s Danny and Gallant, Dipoto provided a check-in on two prospects who have been making noise as of late: Noelvi Marte, shortstop for the Low-A Modesto Nuts, and Emerson Hancock, a starting pitcher who made his Double-A debut on Wednesday night with the Arkansas Travelers.

Here’s a look at each player and what Dipoto had to say (plus some bonus information on George Kirby, Seattle’s 2019 first-round pick and Hancock’s rotation mate with Arkansas).

Noelvi Marte, SS

• Signed by Mariners as an international free agent in 2018
• MLB Pipeline rankings: Fourth in Mariners system, 80th overall
• 2021 stats with Modesto: 81 G, .271/.353/.478 slash, .831 OPS, 17 HR, 17 SB

Recent highlight: Went 4 for 5 with three home runs, nine RBIs, five runs scored, a walk and a stolen base on Aug. 3 against the Stockton Ports.

447 feet!

No doubt about this one from Mariners No. 6 prospect Noelvi Marte. pic.twitter.com/NoOPQag6hC

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 12, 2021

What Dipoto said: “Noelvi, what he’s doing at 19 years old, is pretty awesome – OPS-ing about .850. As a pro, two seasons really, his 17- and 19-year-old seasons really add up to what appears to be a special talent. He’s young, he’s five tools, we think he’s got the chance to stay at shortstop – if not, the bat’s going to play big enough to move to other spots. We’re satisfied with where he is in his development and we don’t want to move him too quickly. And we don’t need to now, we have players lined up and (can) just allow him to grow at his pace.”

Emerson Hancock, RHP

• Selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft
• MLB Pipeline rankings: Second in Mariners system, 20th overall
• 2021 stats (all but one start with High-A Everett): 10 starts, 2.02 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, .157 BAA, 9.08 K/9, 2.67 K/BB

Recent highlight: Allowed no hits and just one walk in 4 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out six in his Double-A debut Wednesday against the Springfield Cardinals.

🔥 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K 🔥 
 @EmersonHancock_ | #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/hlLacDvlER

— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) August 12, 2021

What Dipoto said: “In Emerson’s case, the sixth pick in last year’s draft, one of the top college pitchers in the country for his three years at Georgia, we’ve had starts and stops with him this season as we try to build his workload after what equated to a missed year. The biggest thing for Emerson is just pitching innings, because what you saw (Wednesday) night in his Double-A debut, that’s how good he can be. It’s mid-upper 90s, it’s sink, it’s a good slider, a good changeup, a lot of strikes, and a real polish to him. And I can say the same about George Kirby. With both Kirby and Hancock, these are guys that have thrown less than 100 professional innings, and they’re already in Double-A, which I think speaks to both their polish and, really, their talent. They’ll come quick.”

Listen to the full Jerry Dipoto Show at this link or in the player below.

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