Mariners Minors Notebook: Lazaro Montes wins 2nd straight MVP

Sep 17, 2025, 1:47 PM

Seattle Sports

Seattle Mariners prospect Lazaro Montes is taking home a league’s top honor for a second straight season.

Seattle Mariners’ magic number to make playoffs is a single digit

The 20-year-old outfielder was named the Northwest League MVP for his torrid stretch in the first half of the season with the High-A Everett AquaSox.

Montes, who was MVP of the Single-A California League last season, slashed .268/.387/.572 with a .959 OPS, 35 extra-base hits, including 18 home runs and 50 RBIs in 67 games for the AquaSox.

The left-handed-hitting slugger earned a promotion to Double-A Arkansas on June 24 and finished the year with a .241/.354/.504 slash line, .858 OPS, 32 home runs, 89 RBIs and 58 extra-base hits in 131 games across all levels of the minors. He was third among all minor leaguers in home runs and tied for 12th in RBIs.

Montes is the Mariners’ third-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. He participated in his first Futures Stars Game in July during All-Star week in Atlanta.

Montes was also named a Northwest League All-Star alongside Everett teammates shortstop Colt Emerson, second baseman Michael Arroyo and reliever Tyler Cleveland.

Additionally, starting pitcher Rylan Sloan, who ended the season in Everett, was named a California League All-Star for his time with Modesto.

Emerson, who homered in his Triple-A debut Tuesday night, slashed .312/.388/.453 with an .841 OPS, 32 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs, and 51 RBIs in 90 games with Everett. He was also named the Northwest League’s top prospect.

Emerson promoted to Double-A on Aug. 4 and to Triple-A on Tuesday.

The 20 year old is slashing .281/.380/.451 with an .831 OPS, 15 home runs, 72 RBIs and 47 extra-base hits in 125 games across all levels of the minors.

Emerson is the Mariners’ top-ranked prospect. He’s ranked 11th in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline and 12th by Baseball America.

Arroyo, 20, slashed .269/.422/.512 with a .934 OPS, 15 home runs, 39 RBIs and 29 extra-base hits across 65 games for the AquaSox. He was promoted to Double-A alongside Montes.

In 121 minor league games across all levels, he produced a .262/.401/.433 slash line with an .834 OPS, 17 home runs, 54 RBIs and 42 extra-base hits.

Arroyo is ranked sixth in the Mariners’ farm system by MLB Pipeline and fifth by Baseball America.

Cleveland a 26-year-old right-hander, posted a 0.86 ERA and 0.64 WHIP with 37 strikeouts to nine walks over 31 1/3 innings in 23 appearances with Everett. Batters hit just .107 against him. He was promoted to Double-A on July 14.

Over 51 2/3 innings in 41 appearances across all levels of the minors, Cleveland had a 0.87 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He’s fourth in ERA among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched across all levels of the minors.

Cleveland is the Mariners’ 30th-ranked prospect, per Pipeline.

Sloan, 19, had a 2-2 record, 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 77 strikeouts to 15 walks over 70 2/3 innings in 18 starts with Modesto. He was promoted to High-A on Aug. 10.

The right-hander was 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA, 1.16 WHIP over 82 innings in 21 total minor league starts.

MLB Pipeline ranks Sloan as the Mariners’ No. 5 prospect and Baseball America No. 7.

Evans makes rehab start

Right-hander Logan Evans appeared in his first rehab outing with Triple-A Tacoma since going on the injured list Aug. 15 with right elbow inflammation.

Evans struck out one and walked one while throwing 22 pitches (11 strikes) during a scoreless inning of work. His sinker average 92.6 mph and four-seam fastball 92.9 mph, per Baseball Savant. Both were within 0.3 mph of his season average.

Evans is 6-5 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 78 1/3 innings in 15 starts in the majors this season.

Taylor breaks Tacoma record

Rainiers outfielder Samad Taylor broke the franchise record with his 93rd career stolen base in a Tacoma uniform Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Taylor’s swipe was his 43rd this season, adding to the 50 bags he stole last season. He also has a career-high 17 homers in Tacoma this season while bating .297 with an .838 OPS.

The record-breaking steal in its entirety ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sR3b8CrRx2

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) September 16, 2025

Marlowe honored

Outfielder Cade Marlowe was named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for Sept. 8-14 for his torrid stretch during a 4-2 week for Tacoma.

The 28-year-old Marlowe batted .458 with a 1.283 OPS, 11 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs over six games, including a pair of three-hit performances.

Marlowe returned to game action in July after missing the first half of the season due surgery on a bulging disc in his back.