Seattle, WA
Hollander: 'Big time' for Seattle Mariners' loaded farm system
After graduating a slew of pitching talent in previous years, the Seattle Mariners’ farm system took a brief dip, but it’s built plenty of momentum since thanks to a contingent of promising young bats.
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The Mariners feature one of baseball’s most intriguing farm systems, with seven players ranked in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects and four in MLB Pipeline’s.
Seattle general manager Justin Hollander joined Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy recently for a conversation about the organization, and he believes it’s a “big time” for the franchise and its farm system.
“We should keep talking about them because we’re about to go back to the point where we have one of, if not the best, farm systems in baseball over the next 12 months,” Hollander said. “… It’s a big time for us.”
Next in line
The top-100 prospect that appears closest to making his major league debut is first baseman Tyler Locklear. The 23 year old is ranked as the No. 94 prospect by Baseball America. He played just 22 Double-A games a season ago and was called up to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on Monday after 41 games in 2024.
With Arkansas this season, Locklear slashed .291/.401/.532 with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 26 RBIs, 23 walks and 49 strikeouts. The Virginia Commonwealth product’s .933 OPS with Arkansas ranks third in the Texas League.
Tyler Locklear (@Mariners‘ No. 8 prospect) unloads on a projected 425-foot homer for the @ARTravs!
Watch the final innings LIVE: https://t.co/aKtGFgWBY3 pic.twitter.com/SsarZFB5J8
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 18, 2024
Since being called up to Tacoma, Locklear, a second-round draft pick in 2022, is slashing .304/.407/.391 in six games through Sunday.
“We just promoted to Triple-A after he really just beat (up) Double-A, which is hard to do,” Hollander said. “That’s a big jump from A-ball to Double-A, particularly for a right-handed hitter in the ballpark that we play in, and he just obliterated that league very quickly.”
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The top prospects
The Mariners highest-rated prospects are shortstop Cole Young and catcher Harry Ford. Baseball America ranks Young at No. 34 and Ford at No. 51, and MLB Pipeline has them ranked 26th and 27th, respectively. Both are excelling with the Double-A Travelers.
The 21-year-old Ford posted a scorching month of May, producing a .304/.418/.467 slash line five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 13 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 16 walks and 23 strikeouts. His 34 walks rank second in the Texas League, which comes after he led all of minor-league baseball in walks last season.
“Harry has just gone ballistic over the last month or so,” Hollander said. “He’s been one of the best minor league players at any level over the last month.”
Harry Ford just keeps hitting 😤
The @Mariners‘ No. 2 prospect has a 3-hit, 3-RBI night for the @ARTravs, raising his Double-A slash line to .275/.416/.477: pic.twitter.com/BTJZVedq9I
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 25, 2024
The Mariners drafted Ford No. 12 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft out of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia. Hollander pointed out that this year would have been when Ford became draft eligible had he signed with a college out of high school.
“I would be shocked if we weren’t talking about Harry Ford as, like, one of the five best amateur players in the country at this stage,” Hollander said, “and he’s in Double-A at 21 and showing us that he may be ready for a step up at some point later in the year.”
Young, the No. 21 overall pick in 2022, is another one of the high school bats the organization invested in early during the past three drafts. He’s had a quick ascent through minors, starting the season in Double-A after playing just 48 games with the High-A Everett AquaSox in his second minor league stop of 2023.
Young impressed during his first spring training with the club, posting a .333 average with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs in just 24 at-bats. His first month with Arkansas didn’t wow, but like Ford, Young had a red-hot May. In 21 games, Young slashed .298/.375/.524 with four doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, 10 walks and just 13 strikeouts.
The top arm
The Mariners’ newest addition to Baseball America’s list is also in Arkansas with Ford and Young. Right-hander Logan Evans recently made his debut at No. 99 to signify his status as the organization’s top pitching prospect after a dominant start to his second pro season.
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Evans, a 12th-round draft pick out of Pittsburgh in 2023, has a 5-2 record with a 1.23 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 10 starts. He’s struck out 47 and allowed 15 walks over 51 1/3 innings. Evans also allowed only one run over 15 minor league innings in 2023.
According to Baseball America, Evans gained considerable velocity this past offseason and now sports a six-pitch mix that includes a mid-90s fastball and an elite slider.
This team is Nuts
The highlight of Seattle’s farm system thus far is what’s been going on with the Single-A Modesto Nuts. Modesto holds the top record in the California League at 35-14. Even more impressive is the squad’s whopping plus-142 run differential, which is over 100 runs better than the next-closest team.
Modesto is full of promising young hitters. Infielder Colt Emerson and outfielders Lazaro Montes and Jonny Farmelo each have at least one Top-100 ranking by Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. Hollander also noted infielder Michael Arroyo and outfielder Aiden Smith.
“It’s one of the best minor league teams in all of affiliated baseball right now,” Hollander said. “… You just go down the lineup, up and down the roster is just loaded with talent.”
This @ModestoNuts lineup 🫨
Jonny Farmelo, Colt Emerson + Lazaro Montes — three of the @Mariners‘ Top 6 prospects — serve as instant offense out of the chute: pic.twitter.com/wRIAYciWRO
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 9, 2024
Emerson has skyrocketed up the prospect rankings since being drafted No. 22 overall out of John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio. He’s ranked as the No. 49 prospect in MLB by Baseball America and No. 51 by MLB Pipeline. Emerson hasn’t played since May 16 and went on the IL May 21 due to a small fracture in his foot. After an impressive 24 games in the minors last season, Emerson is slashing .271/.441/.414 in 19 games this season.
Montes is ranked as baseball’s No. 82 prospect by MLB Pipeline and 79th by Baseball America. The hulking left-handed bat was an international free agent signing in 2022 out of Havana, Cuba. At just 19 years old, Montes sports an impressive .330/.429/.534 slash line through 48 games with the Nuts. He’s currently on pace for the Triple Crown in the California League. He leads the league in homers (nine), RBIs (57), batting average, slugging and is second in OPS (.962).
Lazaro Montes goes deep for the second time in three games 💪
The @Mariners‘ No. 4 prospect leads all Minor Leaguers with 56 RBIs for the Single-A @ModestoNuts. pic.twitter.com/zM6AaMzVrn
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 1, 2024
Farmelo is the final M’s prospect with a top-100 ranking, coming in at No. 98 for Baseball America. The speedy outfielder is also hitting well in Modesto with a .286/.426/.460 slash line, 10 doubles, three triples, four homers, 25 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 42 games. The 19-year-old Farmelo was one of three high schoolers picked in the first round by Seattle in 2023, going No. 29 overall.
Smith and Arroyo are also off to strong starts with the Nuts. The 19-year-old Smith, a 2023 fourth-rounder, is slashing .273/.390/.460 with 13 doubles, one triple, five homers, 24 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 29 walks and 43 strikeouts in 43 games. Arroyo, a 19 year old who signed as an international free agent in 2022 out of Cartagena, Columbia, has compiled a .255/.373/.435 slash line with seven doubles, four triples, six home runs, 36 RBIs, 27 walks and 47 strikeouts in 45 games.
“We’re really excited about where we’re at,” Hollander said, “and we do think over the course of the next year we’re gonna jump right back into the top five, in terms of the talent that we have coming, across all of baseball.”
Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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