Seattle Mariners: Three prospects who can help in the future

Sam Carlson – Pitcher

When you hear scouts talk about a young player “filling out,” Sam Carlson is a good example. He was a 6-foot, 3-inch, 180-pound high school junior that grew an inch and put on 25 pounds a year later. In that time his fastball went from the upper 80’s to mid 90’s (topping out at 97 mph).

Carlson was close to becoming the first Minnesota high school player to get drafted in the first round but dropped down a round. Still, the money for going in round two, however, isn’t bad either. He turned down a scholarship at the University of Florida to sign with Seattle.

He’s got four pitches with an especially dangerous changeup which closely mimics his fastball. Unfortunately, for both him and the M’s, his adjustment to pro ball has been rocky.

The Mariners top pitching prospect and their second-round draft pick in 2017, had his 2018 season end before it really even started. Carlson, who is only 20 years old, had surgery on his pitching elbow to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

The recovery time is considered to be between 12-15 months so its inevitable that the pitcher could miss the majority of the 2019 season as well.