When he toed the rubber for his first start with High-A Everett, 19-year-old righthander Ryan Sloan couldn’t have made a better first impression.
Sloan threw a strike on each of his first 17 pitches that outing, and ended the day with 42 strikes against just 10 balls, showcasing the elite control that led the Mariners to draft the Illinois prep in the second round in 2024.
In 82 innings between Low-A Modesto and Everett, Sloan had 90 strikeouts and just 15 walks before his season ended in early September due to eye surgery.
“It’s very, very cool to see,” Everett manager Zach Vincej said. “It shows his talent level. It shows his mentality of going after hitters and trusting in his abilities—and trusting in his stuff.”
Sloan averaged around 40 innings per season in high school, so the Mariners kept his workload fairly light this year. Sloan threw into the fifth inning three times and exceeded 70 pitches only once.
Next year, they plan to bump his innings total to 100 or more, while continuing to add pitches to his already superb mix that features a high-90s fastball and above-average changeup and slider.
The Mariners have been impressed with Sloan’s attitude in addition to his high talent level.
“A big thing that separates him is his maturity for his age,” Mariners pitching coordinator Quinn Cleary said. “The level of preparation he brings to each day, and the level of intent and focus he has with what he’s doing in game—but also in terms of the day to day.”
The Mariners see something special in Sloan that made them comfortable investing a $3 million bonus into such a young pitcher.
“There’s definitely risk with a young high school kid like Ryan,” Cleary said. “Every scout who saw him, I know just came away incredibly impressed with the operation, whether it was the velo or whether it was the command.”
MARINADE
— The Mariners chose Sloan as their Jamie Moyer pitcher of the year award recipient.
— Outfielder Lazaro Montes was named the Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr. hitter of the year award winner for the second straight season after hitting .241/.354/.504 with 32 home runs, 89 RBIs, 19 doubles and 76 runs scored in 131 games between High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas.
— Switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje ended the season in strong fashion, with a 2.67 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 33.2 innings, with 37 strikeouts and 16 walks after his promotion to Double-A Arkansas, while averaging 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Cijntje finished with a 3.99 ERA over 26 appearances in Everett and Arkansas this season, with 120 strikeouts and 51 walks.
— No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson also finished the season strong with a standout performance in his short stint in Triple-A Tacoma. In six games, he hit .364 and notched eight hits, including two doubles and two home runs.
Over three minor league levels this year, Emerson hit .285/.383/.458 with 16 homers, 78 RBIs and an .842 OPS. His quick rise could portend a big league callup in 2026.
— Catcher Luke Stevenson showed big flashes of potential in his pro debut, with 21 hits in 76 at-bats for Low-A Modesto. The Mariners drafted Stevenson with the 35th overall pick in 2025 out of North Carolina.
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