'Explosive-type player': Meet No. 6 prospect Jonny Farmelo

PEORIA, Ariz. -- In a roundabout way, Jonny Farmelo might not be in the Mariners' organization if not for Julio Rodríguez.

Farmelo was selected with the No. 29 overall pick in last July’s Draft, in the first-ever Prospect Promotion Incentive round. The round was installed as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement to reward teams for promoting their best prospects to the big leagues at the start of the season, then having said rookies accrue one full year of service time and factor into a major postseason award.

Rodríguez, of course, played his way onto the Opening Day roster in 2022, then went on to win AL Rookie of the Year honors.

So, here Farmelo is -- and the early returns have been impressive in the limited Cactus League playing time that the Mariners have allocated him. He’ll look to take it a step further on Friday, when he’ll be among Seattle’s headliners in its Spring Breakout game against the Padres.

“I'm pretty excited,” Farmelo said. “Obviously, it's getting hyped up a lot, everyone is talking about it. So it'll be fun just to be alongside some of my boys, too. It's going to be a fun game.”

Seattle’s No. 6 prospect has been described as a “toolshed” by many in the organization, and it’s clear why. Here’s a breakdown of the outfielder by his scouting grades on the 20-80 scale from MLB Pipeline.

Run: 65
This number could rapidly rise by the time the midseason re-ranks are unveiled, as Farmelo has already flashed his wheels with a stolen base and standup triple this spring. He’s been touted among the fastest players in the organization, including outfield prospect Jonatan Clase, who set a Minor League record with 79 stolen bases and 20 homers last year -- and even Rodríguez, who is among MLB’s fastest.

Farmelo has won every foot race he’s been challenged to since being drafted, but joked that one with Rodríguez probably won’t happen any time soon.

“I'm always thinking about getting to second [base],” Farmelo said. "Especially if I get on first if I walk, I want to try and get to second any way I can. And then when I'm on second, if I can take third, I want to take third and when I'm on third, it's on the hitter to get me home.”

Field/Arm: 50
The wheels give Farmelo the range to man center field -- as he's done in 23 innings across five Cactus League games so far -- but he's also an above-average fielder there. His speed and field tools automatically raise his long-term floor, even if his bat takes longer to progress.

“He's really athletic,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He's an explosive-type player. Obviously, he can handle center field. We've seen that he can swing the bat as well. He can run. I wasn't expecting that kind of power out of a [19]-year-old kid, but good for him.”

Hit/Power: 50
Servais’ comments were shortly after Farmelo pummeled a 94 mph, center-cut fastball for a solo home run in Tuesday’s win over the Giants.

Farmelo's hitting profile has been described as still very raw, with a swing that looks comparable to a pickleball serve and at times can be rigid and limit him from making adjustments throughout an at-bat. Hitting was his primary focus this offseason, with a personal coach he’s worked with for four years.

“We've really had to figure some stuff out, and yeah, things are starting to come along,” Farmelo said. “It was definitely a long offseason, a lot of hours in the cage, getting really technical. But now it's kind of just time to compete and have fun.”

Overall: 50
Farmelo is among the trio of high-school bats the Mariners selected with their first three picks in last year's Draft -- Colt Emerson at No. 22 overall, Farmelo at No. 29 and Tai Peete at No. 30 -- who could come to define the next era of Seattle’s farm system.

They’ve each been off to strong starts to their pro careers, with Emerson and Peete helping Single-A Modesto win the California League championship last year, and Farmelo seeing more Cactus League reps than expected this spring.

“It's encouraging because I feel like I'm right there, and I'm 19 years old,” Farmelo said. “So I feel like if I just keep learning and competing, I'll be in a good spot in a few years here.”