Pair of Mariners prospects put on powerful display in spring camp
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PEORIA, Ariz. -- The wind might¡¯ve been blowing out at Sloan Park on Saturday afternoon, but make no mistake, the huge homers from Mariners prospects Colt Emerson and Harry Ford were no cheapies.
¡°That was not a ballpark thing,¡± manager Dan Wilson said.
Here¡¯s why the power display from Emerson (Seattle¡¯s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 20 overall) and Ford (No. 4 / No. 64) particularly stood out on a day where four other balls left the yard.
The raw power
Emerson pulled an 0-1 fastball on the inner half from Cade Horton -- a fellow Top 100 prospect -- and crushed it 112 mph, and nearly beyond the right-field berm, while Ford demolished a 1-0 heater from reliever Julian Merryweather to the left of straightaway center, at 106 mph.
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Scouts have suggested that both players possess a better hit tool over power but with plenty of room to tap into more -- with Ford probably more so, after hitting just seven homers last season and seeing his slugging percentage dip from .430 the year prior to .367. Part of that might be attributed to playing at Double-A Arkansas¡¯ Dickey-Stephens Park, widely viewed as one of the Minors¡¯ least-friendly environments for hitters.
¡°I¡¯m getting stronger,¡± Ford said. ¡°I¡¯m learning how to use my body better. So I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve got a lot more left in the tank.¡±
Emerson, meanwhile, received multiple votes in MLB Pipeline¡¯s annual executive poll as being the best pure hitter in the Minors, with a notably higher on-base percentage (.393) than slugging percentage (.376) in his first pro season last year. But a 112 mph exit velocity, regardless of result, showed tremendous upside.
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The approach
The fastballs that both crushed were in damage zones, early in counts and likely mistake pitches. But they turned into tape-measure shots because both Ford and Emerson were on time and hunting.
¡°Every swing is pretty much the same,¡± Emerson said. ¡°I try to make it smooth with not very much effort, because when you try to swing hard, that's where your barrel accuracy goes down. I try to make an easy, nice, effortless swing, and I guess that¡¯s what happens.¡±
Added Ford: ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hit a bomb or anything. It was just a pitch right down the middle.¡±
The way each spoke was emblematic of what Mariners director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez has preached since rejoining the big league staff last August -- aim for the middle of the field, let your tools take over and be fine with the result if an ¡®A¡¯ swing was executed.
¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m trying to do,¡± Ford said.
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The impression
This is Ford¡¯s third big league camp, making him no stranger. He was the saxophone star in the clubhouse band performance his first year and seized the international stage when playing for Team Great Britain in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
As he enters his fourth pro season, which will likely begin at Triple-A Tacoma, he¡¯s closer to the Majors than ever -- but still with room to grow, as scouts have suggested that tapping into power more consistently and defensive work behind the plate can help elevate him to more fulfilled potential.
¡°It's more about what he's been able to do mentally, and what he's able to handle back there in terms of the pitching process and those kinds of things,¡± said Wilson, who¡¯s been a close mentor to Ford from his previous role as a special assignment coach on the Minors side. ¡°I think that's where he's made his biggest strides.¡±
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Emerson, meanwhile, is in the Major League clubhouse for the first time -- and despite being just 19 years old, has shown an advanced acumen and a relentless competitive nature. The homer was in the ninth inning of a game that the Mariners trailed by two runs, and he also had a 14-pitch plate appearance last Sunday vs. Colorado¡¯s German Marquez that ended in a hit-by-pitch. He will likely begin the year at Arkansas.
¡°His maturity exceeds his age, for sure,¡± Wilson said. ¡°He¡¯s the type of player that just has a knack for that. He's kind of like that grinder, the heart that he plays with. And I think when you see that grittiness, you can have at-bats like he's had and not have success, but then he¡¯s able to take the confidence from that.¡±
Both Emerson and Ford will be reassigned to Minors camp soon but they¡¯ll also be playing in Friday¡¯s Spring Breakout game, giving them at least a few more opportunities to build upon an already strong impression.