Three unexpected early standouts from Mariners camp

Last spring training, Rowdy Tellez became one of the bright spots for the Seattle Mariners.

Brendan Donovan showing he’s a ‘tremendous’ add in clubhouse

After coming into camp on a minor league deal, the massive first baseman made the most of his opportunity with an impressive showing that earned him not only a spot on the big league roster, but a place in the opening day lineup at first base.

It doesn’t seem like there will be any Tellez-like stories for the M’s this year.

With a roster that remained mostly intact while adding a few key pieces following last year’s playoff run, there isn’t too much competition taking place for open spots at the major league level. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be some unexpected standouts during Cactus League play.

With the Mariners having wrapped up their first full week of spring training games, here are three unexpected players who have stood out early.

• Brennen Davis, OF

Davis, who’s with the Mariners on a minor league deal, was once a touted prospect expected to make a major impact in the big leagues. The 2018 second-round pick entered the 2022 season as MLB Pipeline’s 15th-ranked prospect league-wide. But at 26 years old, numerous injuries and underwhelming numbers in the minors have kept him from reaching the majors.

However, Davis has made the most of his opportunity in Mariners camp and has been the club’s most productive hitter thus far. In 15 plate appearances over six games, he’s hitting .538 with a 1.908 OPS. His seven hits, four doubles, two homers and four RBIs all lead the team.

Davis is still a longshot to make the Mariners’ 26-man roster. The outfield is already well set with Randy Arozarena in left field, Julio Rodríguez in center, and Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Luke Raley and Rob Refsnyder all capable of playing right. So it would likely take some unfortunate injury circumstances for a path to the big league roster to open up.

With that said, Davis’ performance over the rest of the spring will be worth monitoring. He should get plenty of opportunities with Rodríguez, Arozarena and Canzone all having left camp to play in the World Baseball Classic that begins this week.

• Brock Rodden, INF

While top prospects like Colt Emerson, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan have garnered plenty of attention early on, Rodden has quietly had a nice start to his spring after an injury-plagued 2025 season. The 25-year-old infield prospect is tied for second on the club with six hits and is batting .462 with a home run, a triple and three RBIs in 13 plate appearances over seven games.

Rodden, a fifth-round pick out of Wichita State in 2023, played well when healthy at Double-A Arkansas last season. In 37 games with the Travelers, he slashed .295/.356/.466 with an .822 OPS, five homers, 10 doubles and 14 stolen bases. But he was on the injured list three different times, including an oblique strain that kept him out for two months and a broken hamate bone that ended his season in mid-August.

Rodden, a switch-hitter, ended last season as the 20th-ranked prospect in the Mariners’ farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

• Will Wilson, INF

Wilson is a former first-round pick who’s in camp with the Mariners on a minor league deal. Like Davis, the 27-year-old infielder has made the most of his opportunity to this point. In 15 plate appearances over eight games, he’s hitting .462 with a 1.148 OPS, two doubles, two walks and no strikeouts. His six hits are tied with Rodden for second on the club.

Wilson doesn’t have much of a path to making the Mariners’ roster. But he does have some positional versatility that could make him a solid depth piece in the minors, as he’s played second base, third base, shortstop and left field. In 34 games as a rookie with the Cleveland Guardians last year, he hit .192 with a .511 OPS and four doubles.

The Mariners are off from Cactus League play Monday but return to action at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. Radio coverage will begin live at noon on the Seattle Sports app, and the game will also air on tape delay at 7 p.m. on Seattle Sports 710 AM.

More on the Seattle Mariners

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