Mariners unveil 2024 minor league award winners

Sep 28, 2024, 12:21 PM | Updated: 12:28 pm

Seattle Mariners Colt Emerson prospect farm system rankings...

Seattle Mariners prospect Colt Emerson on July 18, 2023. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

BY ZAC HERETH

Seattle Sports

The Seattle Mariners announced the winners of the organization’s minor league awards on Saturday.

5 Mariners prospects who raised stock with big seasons in minors

Outfielder Lazaro Montes and pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Michael Morales were given the honors among the seven players and one coach recognized.

Montes was named the Ken Griffey Jr. Hitter of the Year. Garcia and Morales were selected as the Jamie Moyer Co-Pitchers of the Year.

Infielder Colt Emerson was named the Alvin Davis “Mr. Mariner” Award winner, and outfielder Curtis Washington was selected the Dan Wilson Community Service Award winner.

Infielder Michael Arroyo won the Edgar Martinez “Dominate The Zone” Tournament Award for hitters, while Tyler Cleveland won the the award on the pitching side.

Double-A Arkansas pitching coach Michael Peoples was named the Dave Henderson Staff Member of the Year.

Montes, 19, slashed .288/.397/.484 with 21 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs and 105 RBIs in 116 games across two levels of the minors. He was named the California League Prospect of the Year after hitting .309 with 13 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .936 OPS in 65 games with Single-A Modesto before being promoted to High-A Everett. With the AquaSox, Montes batted .260 with eight homers, 33 RBIs and an .805 OPS in 51 games.

The left-handed hitting prospect was also named the organization’s co-hitter of the year last season. Montes, an international free agent signing, is the No. 3 prospect in Seattle’s farm system and No. 45 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Garcia, 24, was 6-2 with a 2.25 ERA, 134 strikeouts, 46 walks and a .222 opponents’ batting average over 116 innings pitched between two levels of the minors. In 14 games (12 starts) with Everett, he was a perfect 6-0 with a 1.84 ERA over 68 1/3 innings. The left-hander was 0-2 with a 2.83 ERA over 47 2/3 innings in 13 starts with Double-A Arkansas. Garcia, an 11th-round draft pick in 2023, is the No. 16 prospect in the organization.

Morales, 22, went 13-2 with a 3.02 ERA, 147 strikeouts, 38 walks and a .241 opponents’ batting average over 149 innings across two levels of the minors. The right-hander was 9-1 with a 2.36 ERA over 84 innings pitched in 15 starts with Everett. He went 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA over 65 innings pitched in 12 starts with Arkansas. Morales, a 2021 third-round pick, is the No. 13 prospect in the farm system.

Emerson, 19, slashed .263/.393/376 with 17 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 37 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 70 minor league games. He hit .293 with 15 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 40 games with Modesto. The left-handed hitting infielder posted a .225 batting average with seven extra-base hits, 12 RBIs and a .648 OPS over 29 games in Everett. Emerson, a 2023 first-round pick, is the top prospect in the organization and No. 27 overall.

Washington, 24, was recognized for his involvement in Miracle League at Modesto, a non-profit providing team sports for children and young adults with physical and mental disabilities, and hosting his Gotta Believe Youth Baseball Camp in his hometown of West Memphis, Arkansas.

Arroyo, 19, slashed .285/.400/.509 with 26 doubles, seven triples, 23 home runs, 89 RBIs and 18 stolen bases across two levels of the minors. In 60 games with Modesto, he hit .279 with 27 extra-base hits, 49 RBIs and a .904 OPS. The right-handed hitting infielder batted .290 with 29 extra-base hits, 40 RBIs and a .916 OPS in 60 games with Everett. Arroyo, an international free agent signing, is the No. 12 prospect in the farm system.

Cleveland, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 2-2 with eight holds, a 3.38 ERA, 48 strikeouts, 23 walks and a .230 opponents’ batting average over 37 1/3 innings in 36 relief appearances with Everett. The 2023 14th-round pick is an unranked prospect.

Peoples helped lead Arkansas to its first Texas League title since 2008. The Travelers ranked second in the Texas League in ERA (3.50) and WHIP (1.19). Peoples joined the organization in 2023.

Additionally, 19-year-old infielder Felnin Celesten was named the Arizona Complex League Prospect of the Year. In 32 games, he slashed .352/.431/.568 with 10 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 27 RBIs. The switch-hitting Celesten, an international free agent signing, is the organization’s No. 5 prospect and No. 68 overall.