Top Mariners Prospects Promoted to Double-A, among others

Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo are Arkansas-bound, along with a slew of other promotions

If you’re Northwest-based and have been meaning to get up to Everett to see top Mariners prospects Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo play, I’m sorry to inform you it’s too late: the two are being promoted to Double-A Arkansas, according to the Mariners, along with a slew of other promotions.

The timing makes sense, as Everett just completed a thrilling comeback to take the first-half Northwest League title, bouncing back from a sluggish start to the season and powering their way to the best record in the NWL, something Max covered extensively in today’s minor-league recap here.

While the Frogs will certainly miss the Baby Bash Brothers, it’s time for Montes and Arroyo to test their mettle against more advanced pitching. Montes, who is still four months away from his 21st birthday, has been wearing out Northwest League pitching, bashing 18 homers while being patient and taking his walks. The lefty slugger hopefully won’t run into the same power slowdown that often besets righties in power-sucking Dickey-Stephens Park; the question for him will be if he can keep his strikeouts at a manageable enough level to reach his three-true-outcome potential in the upper minors. Montes will also be challenged by the larger outfields of the Texas League, although he’s a better outfielder than people think he is given his extra-large frame.

While Laz’s titanic power has been grabbing Mariners prospect headlines for years, fellow 20-year-old (just a month younger than Montes) Michael Arroyo has been slowly and steadily climbing his way up prospect lists thanks to sustained solid performances. Arroyo has more on-base in his game, but has been hitting at a better clip for power than ever; as a righty, he might have a harder time bringing the power surge he enjoyed in fun-size Funko Park along with him, although the field didn’t look too big for him when he was popping doubles this spring at Chase Field as a member of Team Colombia. A bigger question for Arroyo is his defense at second base; Perry Hill worked with him extensively this spring but there’s more work to do there. With Montes and Arroyo moving up together, the Mariners continue their practice of enforced-proximity-friendship where they pair two prospects up, have them room together, and promote them on the same schedule, a tradition that started with moving Cal Raleigh and Logan Gilbert together through the minors; followed by Harry Ford and Jonatan Clase, and now Laz and Michael.

Joining Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo in Arkansas will be pitchers Charlie Beilenson and Marcelo Perez. Beilenson is a 2024 fifth-rounder who features a double-plus changeup; as an experienced college arm, he’s been mowing down hitters in the Northwest League and will now get to test his stuff against the more advanced hitters of the upper minors. The Mariners gave hi a long look with the big-league club this spring, and he’s one to watch as a potential quick-moving bullpen arm if his stuff plays as well at Arkansas as it has in Everett. Marcelo Perez is a 2023 draftee out of TCU who has slowed down a little since a dominant start to his pro career but will get a shot to see how his slurvey slider - fastball combo play back in Texas.

Other promotions: speedy OF Curtis Washington Jr. will head to Everett to take over center field while top prospect Jonny Farmelo heals from an oblique injury. Tacoma will also get an infusion of pitching help, as Juan Burgos and Brandyn Garcia will join the Rainiers from Arkansas. Garcia is a name many fans are familiar with, as the team flirted with possibly promoting him last season for bullpen help; he’ll be conveniently located right down I-5 if they decide to make the move this season. Juan Burgos is a lesser-known name, but one to know, as the Mariners have quietly been internally high on him for a while. He’s got a fastball he can dial up to 98 but isn’t a huge strikeout factory, which is why he flies under the radar; he primarily gets soft-contact outs with his cutter-slider combo, and his ERA in Arkansas so far this season is a minuscule 0.64, with a HR/FB rate of under 4% - an impressive figure, even in Arkansas’ power-suppressing park. Keep an eye on him as a sneaky promotion candidate; he’s easily recognizable by the luxurious flow of hair coming out from under his cap.