EMERALD CITY EVOLUTION
When Jerry Dipoto took over as the Mariners’ general manager in September 2015, the franchise’s talent pipeline had already dried from a slew of drafting and development failures under the previous regime.
And over the next three seasons, in an attempt to supplement the big league club’s aging core and push toward ending the longest playoff drought in the four major sports, Dipoto made a number of trades that further depleted Seattle’s farm system.
By 2018, the Mariners’ farm system had plummeted to dead last in Baseball America’s organization talent rankings.
“Everybody kept reminding me that we were probably 35th in baseball out of 30 teams,” Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter said.
Since then, the tides have turned dramatically in the Pacific Northwest.
After changing course and launching a franchise rebuild following the 2018 season, the Mariners have undergone a worst-to-first transformation in the span of five seasons, while restocking their farm system with young talent.
Seattle has the No. 1 minor league system in baseball heading into 2022. It is the first time the franchise has topped the organization talent rankings in the 39 years BA has ranked farm systems.
And in a testament to the depth of their talent pool, the Mariners have the top system even after graduating four of their top eight prospects last year: outfielder Jarred Kelenic, righthander Logan Gilbert, outfielder Taylor Trammell and catcher Cal Raleigh
“We started a flow,” Dipoto told 710
