It wasn’t too way back that the Seattle Mariners had a younger pitcher in Double-A who was transformed from a starter to a reliever after which was promoted to the massive leagues and have become among the finest closers within the recreation. That was Edwin Diaz in 2016, and now Prelander Berroa could possibly be on the identical timeline as Diaz.

The Mariners twelfth ranked prospect based on Jason A. Churchill made his first aid look out of the bullpen on Could 10. He went one inning and walked and struck out one batter. He has made three aid appearances now, his final two being 2 inning appearances. He has struck out 9 of the 17 batters he has confronted and has walked solely two of them, and he has but to permit a success in his 5 innings out of the bullpen.

Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto spoke about the same timeline for Berroa and Diaz.

Jerry Dipoto instructed @TheMikeSalk that Edwin Diaz pitched out of the pen for two weeks earlier than he was prepared. When requested how related it could possibly be for Prelander Berroa he mentioned:

“It is not too dissimilar in the best way we have laid it out.”

— Maura Dooley (@Maura_Dool) May 18, 2023

It’s unrealistic to anticipate that Berroa will probably be nearly as good as Diaz was as a rookie. Diaz had a 1.9 fWAR season in 2016 that ranked him twelfth amongst relievers that 12 months. Nevertheless, Berroa has a virtually 100mph fastball and a slider that Churchill says is “constantly plus and has an opportunity to be a 70-grade pitch”. So regulate him down in Double-A as a result of he may be in a Seattle uniform quickly.

Modesto Nuts (A) – California League

Everett AquaSox (A+) — Northwest League

Arkansas Vacationers (AA) – Texas League

Tacoma Rainiers (AAA) – Pacific Coast League

Mariners Draft Highlight

One identify that has not been talked about right here this 12 months is Florida right-handed pitcher Hurston Waldrep. He has been ranked within the 10-15 vary many of the 12 months to this point, however in Joe Doyle’s newest mock draft at Future Stars Collection, Waldrep went nineteenth to the Tampa Bay Rays. That might be simply three spots forward of the Mariners first decide at 22 total. The 6-foot-2 righty would make sense as a goal for Seattle if he falls due to their historical past drafting faculty pitchers within the first spherical.

Waldrep is in his first season pitching for the Gators after transferring in from Southern Mississippi. He was a reliever as a freshman however then had 90 innings in 17 begins as a sophomore, putting out 140 hitters and solely strolling 33, incomes him a 3.20 ERA. He had 3.3 walks per 9 and 14 strikeouts per 9, good for a 4.24 strikeout to stroll ratio. To this point this season he has just below 70 innings and 13 begins he has a 5.00 ERA and 104 strikeouts. He nonetheless has a 14 Okay/9 ratio, however has walked extra guys this 12 months, 5.4 per 9, good for a 2.60 strikeout to stroll ratio.

The actual draw with Waldrep is his 4 pitch combine. Doyle praised his 15th ranked draft prospect, saying, “The fastball will get as much as 99 with immense hop on the high of the zone and true bat-missing qualities. The slider is thrown agency and brief with late two-plane tilt that Waldrep will get hitters to chase usually. The curveball might have probably the most potential of all his secondaries, however touchdown it for strikes constantly has come and gone. The splitter, nevertheless, is double-plus. It may be the very best pitch in all the class. The tunnel, the parachute, the separation, it’s all elite. Waldrep has a super-athletic body with well-proportioned power and a depraved fast arm. He’s a real energy pitcher with a bulldog mentality on the bump.”

Listed here are a number of of these “double-plus” splitters Doyle talked about.

Hurston Waldrep, Filth. 😷

12Ks via 5. pic.twitter.com/UHwV37wWNL

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 4, 2023

There are numerous positives with Waldrep, and if the Mariners get the prospect to draft him, he would be part of the group of present Mariners pitching prospects that features Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, Michael Morales, and several other different youthful pitchers. Based mostly on the place he has been ranked by Doyle(15th), MLB Pipeline(11th), and Keith Law(10th), Seattle could be fortunate to get the prospect to draft him.

Mariners Prospects within the Information

Listed here are Dipoto’s feedback on a wide range of matters, together with Berroa, from his dialog with Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports.

Corey Brock of The Athletic wrote about one of many Mariners top prospects developing down in Modesto.

MLB Pipeline highlighted the very best prospect finds by every MLB group. Who did the Mariners find? Somebody they signed for under $35,000.