One prospect each MLB team should call up

Seattle Mariners: Tyler O’Neill

Developing hitters drafted in the early rounds into useful MLB producers has proven almost impossible for the Seattle Mariners over the past decade. Looking at the current lineup, only Kyle Seager is a homegrown star. Mike Zunino has been a massive disappointment.

General manager Jerry Dipoto has made tinkering with his outfield depth his offseason obsession the past two years. All of his moves have left the Mariners with a starting outfield of Jarrod Dyson, Leonys Martin, and Mitch Haniger. There’s really no way that group of outfielders can do enough to push a team into the playoffs.

Tyler O’Neill could help rewrite the narrative that the Mariners cannot grow their own power hitters. He has hit 56 home runs over the past two seasons in the minor leagues, and has made dramatic strides in approach and plate discipline. O’Neill is strong with great bat speed, and his improved approach at the plate has led to a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate.

O’Neill also has enough raw athleticism to project into Dipoto’s defensive-minded outfield. He was a catcher in high school, and has a strong enough arm to play right field in Safeco Field. O’Neill is aggressive in the field and at the plate, and could be a middle-of-the-order force for the Mariners in years to come. That’s in the future, but the Mariners should bring O’Neill up and put him in a lower-pressure slot in the lineup.