Mariners Excited To See What A Healthy Jonny Farmelo Can Do
Outfielder Jonny Farmelo’s upside feels untapped following a pair of injury-plagued seasons to start his pro career.
Drafted 29th overall in 2023, Farmelo’s pro debut season with Low-A Modesto ended in June 2024 with a torn ACL in his right knee. Then a stress fracture in his rib limited him to just 29 games for High-A Everett in 2025.
Farmelo may have finally gotten the boost he needed in the Arizona Fall League.
The 21-year-old flashed elite speed in the AFL, finishing his 23-game stint with 12 stolen bases and a league-best three triples. He batted .234/.406/.442 with two home runs and 20 walks.
“Having him play as well as he did and then being healthy into the offseason, that was a big goal of ours,” Mariners farm director Justin Toole said.
“And obviously you got to see glimpses of the speed. You got to see glimpses of the defense, the bat—everything that you hoped would show up after the injuries were there.”
Toole is eager to see a full, healthy season that showcases Farmelo’s blend of power and speed, the latter of which plays in center field.
“He’s going to be able to hit the ball on the ground and run and get to first and then steal a couple bases, get himself in scoring position,” Toole said. “He’s also got the ability to drive the ball out of the park. Those guys are tough, and they’re also rare to find.”
With the Mariners coming within one win of the World Series last year, the team will be looking for prospects who can help the big league team win. While Farmelo might still be a few years away, Toole sees him as a guy who will make a big impact when he gets the call.
“There’s a lot of things that you like with his game, that you could see him impacting our major league team at some point,” Toole said. “And not knowing exactly when that’s going to be, I know he’ll be ready for whenever that opportunity comes.”
MARINADE
— With the recent trade that sent catcher prospect Harry Ford to the Nationals for lefty reliever Jose Ferrer, 2025 supplemental first-rounder Luke Stevenson is now the top catching prospect in Seattle’s system at No. 9 overall.
The lefthanded hitter got off to a hot start at Low-A Modesto with an .860 OPS and 21 hits in 23 games, including four doubles, a triple, one homer, 20 walks and 19 strikeouts.
— Three of Seattle’s top five prospects are expected to see the big leagues this season, with No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson expected to compete for an Opening Day roster spot. Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo both reached Double-A in 2025 and have a good chance to make their MLB debuts if they produce in the minor leagues.
Emerson is expected to battle for the third base job along with 2025 rookie Ben Williamson, barring another move such as the Mariners re-signing Eugenio Suarez. Emerson hit .285 with an .842 OPS across three levels last season, with a strong finish with Triple-A Tacoma in which he had two homers in six games.
