Mariners set minors rosters: Kelenic in Tacoma, Rodríguez in Everett

Apr 30, 2021, 2:46 PM

Top Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic will play for the Tacoma Rainiers to start the 2021 season. (Getty)

(Getty)

Seattle Sports

The players that represent the future of the Mariners now officially have their new homes as the organization has set their minor league rosters for the start of the 2021 season.

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Seattle, which boasts one of the top farm systems in all of MLB, has plenty of talent across the four minor league levels announced on Friday.

And for those in Washington state, you will have the opportunity to see some of the best prospects in baseball take the field up close and personal. Here’s where some of the Mariners’ most notable prospects will start the 2021 season.

Kelenic, Gilbert headline Tacoma roster

Outfielder Jarred Kelenic, MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 prospect in baseball, won’t be far from his future home ballpark in Seattle as he will play outfield for the Tacoma Rainiers, the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate.

(Note, all prospect rankings are from MLB Pipeline. MLB Pipeline’s top-100 prospects list can be found here and Pipeline’s top-30 list for the Mariners can be found here.)

Kelenic, a sweet-swinging left-handed hitter with five-tool upside, slashed .290/.364/.540 in 117 games in 2019 between Single-A, High-A and Double-A. He clubbed 23 home runs and stole 20 bases.

We’ve waited a long… long time for this.

R 2021 Opening Night roster 💯#ThisIsRCity #SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/KLAwsJpRPt

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) April 30, 2021

Kelenic, the Mariners’ top prospect, will be joined by two other top Seattle prospects who are extremely close to the MLB level in right-handed pitcher Logan Gilbert and catcher Cal Raleigh.

Gilbert, the Mariners’ 2018 first-round pick, is Seattle’s No. 4 prospect and the No. 29 prospect in baseball. He went 10-5 with a 2.13 ERA in 26 starts between Single-A, High-A and Double-A in 2019 and had 165 strikeouts to 33 walks in 135 innings.

Raleigh, a 2018 third-round pick, is Seattle’s No. 8 prospect. He’s a switch-hitting catcher who had 29 home runs in 121 games between High-A and Double-A in 2019.

The Rainiers begin play May 6 at Tacoma’s Cheney Field.

Rodríguez and arms lead Everett roster

After many years as the Mariners’ short-season Low-A affiliate, the Everett AquaSox will be have a longer schedule in 2021 as Seattle’s new High-A affiliate. They’re starting off in a big way, too, with nine of the Mariners’ top 20 prospects making up the roster.

The headliner is outfielder Julio Rodríguez, Seattle’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball. Rodríguez played only 84 games in 2019, but he made a big impression, slashing .326/.390/.540 with 12 home runs and 69 RBIs between Single-A and High-A.

Joining Rodríguez in the lineup are 2020 second-round outfielder Zach DeLoach (No. 13 prospect) and third baseman Austin Shenton (No. 19).

While Rodríguez is the headliner, what the AquaSox really boast is arms. There are several big-time prospect pitchers set to take the mound in Everett, including 2020 first-round pick Emerson Hancock, the Mariners’ No. 3 prospect and the No. 27 prospect in MLB, and 2019 first-round pick George Kirby, Seattle’s No. 5 prospect and the 82nd-ranked prospect in baseball.

Joining them are high-round 2019 draft picks Brandon Williamson (No. 10 prospect) and Isaiah Campbell (No. 12) as well as Juan Then, Seattle’s No. 9 prospect. Levi Stoudt, the Mariners’ No. 14 prospect, is also on the AquaSox roster.

All pitchers listed above are right-handed aside from Williamson.

The AquaSox begin play on May 4 and their home opener is May 11.

Full rosters for Arkansas and Modesto

For the full MILB rosters for the Mariners’ Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, check out the embeded tweet below.

Something worth noting is that Noelvi Marte, the Mariners’ No. 7 prospect, will be playing full-time in the United States for the first time this year, starting in Single-A Modesto. The young shortstop is MLB Pipeline’s No. 95 prospect.