January rolls around and that can only mean one thing around these parts: It’s time to rank minor league prospects. Every team in the majors sells hope to its fans: Some sell it more immediately, in the form of active offseasons full of free agent signings and trade acquisitions. Others, meanwhile, sell it in the form of leads that could make a difference in the years to come.
CBS Sports is currently reviewing the top three prospects from each organization. Our definition of “prospect” is simple: does this player still have eligibility as a rookie for the 2025 season? If so, it’s a prospect; if not, that’s probably why your favorite young player is missing from the proceedings.
As always, these lists are compiled through conversations with scouts, analysts, player development specialists and other industry talent evaluators. There is also a good amount of first-hand assessments, statistical analysis and historical research. Plus a bunch of personal biases: we all have certain traits and profiles that we prefer over others, it makes no sense to pretend otherwise.
Keep in mind that there is no right answer to this stuff. Additionally, these are just our opinions, which means they have no real bearing on the future. We have already published our ranking of the 25 best prospects in all minors.
With all that out of the way, let’s move on to ranking the top three prospects in the Seattle Mariners system.
Ranking among the top 25: No.7
The short hook: Polished left-handed shortstop
Emerson had scouts swooning in the spring. He delivered on that preseason hype over the course of the year, impressing in the California and Arizona fall leagues while struggling in the Northwest League to complete his regular season. It’s hard to get too excited about this latest experience; he was nearing the end of his first full year as a professional (a season that contained several trips to the injured list, mind you), and he was playing in leagues as a teenager that featured pitchers several years older . What’s important here is that Emerson profiles as an above-average left-handed shortstop who just needs to harness his raw power during games. If he succeeds, he will become a fundamental part of the Mariners’ long-term plans. MLB AND: Summer 2026
The short hook: Potential intermediate match
Montes is a huge left-handed hitter, standing at 6-foot-3 with room to fill, who won’t turn 21 until October. That’s remarkable since he split last season between Low-A and High-A, outperforming the league average by 25% or more against competition that was several years his senior. Montes’ calling card is his well-above-average strength. He’s already shown the ability to come out of the ballpark to left and right center, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll have pole-to-pole power by the time he’s fully developed. Montes saw his strikeout rate jump 10 percentage points after his promotion to High-A. It’s reasonable to think he’ll always have a swing-and-miss component to his game, and combining that with his willingness to work will make him prone to punchouts. The Mariners won’t say boo as long as he keeps his promise to launch 30-plus home runs per season. MLB ET: End of summer 2026
The short hook: Future leading hitter in the making
Young is another refined left-handed hitter, although he produced an above-average rate during his season in Double-A. He relies heavily on singles and walks, and his power in the game seems likely to be contained in the form of doubles in the gap (although he has lifted a few balls the other way) . Young also stole 20 or more bases two years in a row, giving him a chance to provide more value on the base paths. He’s almost certain to stay in the middle, with his eventual landing spot depending in part on Emerson’s arrival. MLB ET: End of summer 2025
