Mariners Prospects (from BA)

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Mariners Prospects (from BA)

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1. Alex Jackson, of

SCOUTING GRADES
Batting: 50
Power: 70
Speed: 45
Defense: 50
Arm: 60
Based on 20-80 scouting scale–where 50 represents major league average–and future projection rather than present tools.
Born: Dec. 25, 1995. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 215. Drafted: HS–San Diego, 2014 (1st round).Signed by: Gary Patchett.

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE
Year Player, Pos. 2015 Org.
2006 Jeff Clement, c Did not play
2007 Adam Jones, of Orioles
2008 Jeff Clement, c Did not play
2009 Greg Halman, of Deceased
2010 Dustin Ackley, of/1b Yankees
2011 Dustin Ackley, 2b Yankees
2012 Taijuan Walker, rhp Mariners
2013 Mike Zunino, c Mariners
2014 Taijuan Walker, rhp Mariners
2015 Alex Jackson, of Mariners
Background: Jackson hit most everything in high school–except a slump. He belted 17 home runs as a sophomore and finished his career with 47 at famed Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego, becoming a three-time BA High School All-American. Jackson won the BA High School Player of the Year award in 2014 and was the premier prep batter in his draft class. He slipped to the Mariners at No. 6 overall only because of the wealth of arms ahead of him. He signed for $4.2 million, shifted from catcher to the outfield and ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Rookie-level Arizona League. That history of success made Jackson’s lackluster first full season in 2015 all the more puzzling. Perhaps it was the combination of a nagging shoulder injury, an aggressive assignment to low Class A Clinton and his first experience playing in cold weather that led to a poor showing with–which included an 8-for-53 stretch before he was sent to extended spring training in May. Jackson worked on getting back to basics in Arizona, including controlling the strike zone and getting his bat-to-ball skills in better sync, before returning to the field at short-season Everett. He showed more flashes of the above-average bat–including finishing tied for fifth in the Northwest League with eight home runs–but finished with a .239 average.

Scouting Report: Despite Jackson’s up-and-down full-season debut, the Mariners have to hope there is no reason for alarm. The tool set that made Jackson a prep sensation remains intact, and it may very well be a matter of him putting the pieces together with a fresh start in 2016. Jackson combines tremendous bat speed and hand-eye coordination with strength to produce a thunderous swing. At his best, he is an advanced hitter who uses a disciplined approach to wait for his pitch and then punish it. He has above-average power to his pull side, and by the end of the season began to show the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He got out of sync in the Midwest League by being overly aggressive and chasing pitcher’s pitches out of the strike zone early in the count. Jackson was noted for a tremendous work ethic in high school, and he has used that to make an easy transition from behind home plate to right field. He has plenty of arm strength and uses his natural athleticism and instincts to take good routes on flyballs. Some observers believe that Jackson often took his first experience with failure into the field with him, sometimes showing a lack of interest or desire. Others believe it’s the same casual style that he has used in a game that has come easy to him most of his life, and that only the results were different this year. Jackson is a below-average runner but doesn’t clog the bases.

The Future: Jackson will get a shot to prove 2015 was merely a bump on his road to Seattle when he returns to low Class A at the start of 2016. He has middle-of-the-order potential but needs to show he can make the adjustments to reach it and help turn around the Mariners system.



2. Edwin Diaz, rhp

Born: March 22, 1994. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 165. Drafted: HS–Caguas, P.R., 2012 (3rd round). Signed by: Noel Sevilla.

Background: Diaz has added weight and velocity since signing for $300,000 as a sixth-rounder out of Puerto Rico in 2012. A stronger lower half, better balance and an improved slider keyed his development in 2015, which started with seven strong starts at high Class A Bakersfield and ended with a promotion to Double-A Jackson and Mariners minor league pitcher of the year honors.

Scouting Report: Developing feel for his plus, mid-80s slider with tight rotation has proven to be an effective counter to his plus fastball that sits at 93-95 mph and tops out at 98. Toss in a below-average changeup that he’s starting to master but lacks confidence in and Diaz has emerged as a promising–though inconsistent–pitcher. He was at his best in a July 23 outing against Montgomery, when he struck out seven consecutive batters (one shy of matching a Southern League record). He throws strikes but still struggles to command pitches within the zone while learning that he can’t rely on overpowering hitters as he moves up the minor league ladder. When he misses, he tends to leave the ball over the plate.

The Future: Diaz’s level-by-level rise will continue at Triple-A Tacoma in 2016, when he will be just 22. Further improvement of his command gives him No. 3 starter potential.
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