Mariners MiLB Preview 2025: The Everett AquaSox (High A)

One of the most prospect-heavy teams in all of minor league baseball

As the regular season approaches, so too is it time for the minor league season to start up. The Mariners have one of the best farm systems in baseball, and following the minor-league games is both exciting and often a welcome balm when the big-league club is frustrating. Check in on Mondays, the MiLB off-day, for our weekly minor-league roundup to track all your favorite prospects. To get you ready for the MiLB season, as we do every year, we’ll be previewing each affiliate, going over the schedule, coaching staff, and rosters.

You can access our preview of the Tacoma Rainiers here and our coverage on the Arkansas Travelers here. Today’s writeup will be all things Everett, as the AquaSox feature a young roster with immense upside. These are official rosters announced by the team, so no speculation necessary.

2025 Schedule

With so many exciting prospects up in Everett, you’ll certainly want to get up there and see them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait just a little bit, as the AquaSox kick off their season away against the Spokane Indians for a three-game set this weekend. The Frogs will return home for a six-game series Tuesday, April 8, and start the regular minor-league schedule of alternating away/home series, with Mondays being off days. If you’re planning on visiting Funko Field in person, every Friday is a Funko Friday with giveaways and every Saturday is a fireworks show. Some giveaway highlights: March 5 is a Bryce Miller bobblehead giveaway, and August 22nd is a Cal Raleigh Funko Pop.

Also, if you’re headed up to a game, for a limited time you can get a cool shirsey at the team store. Show ‘em you’ve been a fan from the start:

Coaching Staff

Former Mariner Zach Vincej gets a promotion to manage Everett after leading the Modesto Nuts to back-to-back championships from 2023-2024. Thanks in part to that success, Vincej is the reigning Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year. Like teachers moving up grades along with their students, Vincej and his staff will be familiar faces for their young charges. Joining Vincej is another former Mariner and Kentlake HS alum, Jordan Cowan, who was Hitting Coach at Modesto in 2024. Hecmart Nieves also moves up from Modesto, reprising his role as Bench Coach.

New to the organization is Pitching Coach Matt Carasiti. Carasiti is yet another former Mariner, although he made it all the way to appearing with the big-league club, which he did in 2019; he also pitched in Japan for the Yakult Swallows and most recently for the Rockies in 2024. This is his first year coaching.

Broadcast Information

You can watch the AquaSox on MiLB TV or the Bally Sports App. You can listen to games via the MiLB app, or if you’re local, KRKO 1380 AM/95.3 FM. The voice of the AquaSox is longterm broadcaster Pat Dillon (@AquaSoxRadio).

2025 Roster

This roster is loaded with premiere prospect talent and figures to be the most exciting affiliate to watch out of the gate. With a mix of top prospects and intriguing arms, Everett features six of our top twenty prospects, with several more Frogs just missing the list. It’s unlikely the roster will look like this for the rest of the season, so if you’re in the area and are hoping to watch some of these top prospects, make sure you get on it sooner than later. It’s tough to keep this much talent down for long.

Catcher

Freuddy Batista, Josh Caron, Andrew Miller

One of the lighter position groups on this loaded squad, the catching duties will be headlined by last year’s fourth rounder Josh Caron. The young backstop has some tremendous power to go along with bat to ball skills and an aggressive approach at the plate. He’s a good athlete and is quickly improving defensively, though the bat is certainly more refined than his actions behind the plate thanks to his prodigious pop. Freuddy Batista has been a mainstay behind the dish for the M’s organization and has some pop as well, though he’s on the older side for High A baseball and is more of a clubhouse presence than true prospect. Similarly to Batista, Miller can get into some over the fence pop, but is again old for the level and is more of a depth piece for this roster.

Infield

Michael Arroyo, Brandon Eike, Colt Emerson, Charlie Pagliarini, Milkar Perez, Axel Sanchez, Luis Suisbel

Hot damn this infield is cooking. With top prospect Colt Emerson locking down the shortstop position and Michael Arroyo taking second base, the AquaSox possess one of the most lethal middle infields in the minor leagues. After a strong spring, Emerson is primed for a breakout season that shows off additional pop and Arroyo is looking to prove his power stroke from last season was no fluke. This figures to be the top of the Frogs’ lineup to start the season with promotions to Arkansas looming.

The rest of the infield features the slick fielding Axel Sanchez as insurance up the middle and four corner infield guys that all have a bit of versatility. Eike is probably the closest thing to a true first baseman, however he played third base for the Nuts last season and wasn’t all that bad. Pagliarini has played all over the infield in his time as a pro and features premiere bat speed, though the strikeouts are of major concern there. Milkar Perez has been in the org for a while and possesses excellent OBP skills, but has been lacking in the power department since his stateside debut. Suisbel, one of 2022’s biggest breakout stars, has cemented himself a nice niche in the organization and figures to get the majority of the third base reps this season. The switch hitter can slug but can be prone to chase, thus elevating his K rates a bit too high for comfort.

Outfield

Anthony Donofrio, Carson Jones, Lazaro Montes, Tai Peete

Another fun positional group, the outfield is headlined by Cuban slugger Lazaro Montes, a name all Mariners prospect fans have closely followed since his signing back in 2021. Montes features top shelf power and has mashed at essentially every level of the minors, however he carries some contact concerns that have some evaluators more bearish on his profile. He’s a massive human being with an even bigger personality and incredibly fun to watch. If you get the chance to make it to Everett and watch a game, I promise you can’t miss him.

Tai Peete, another top prospect, gets the bump up to Everett after an interesting debut season that saw him flash both his immense upside and lack of polish at the plate. Peete was always projected to be a long term project that needed refinement so his up-and-down year doesn’t come as much of a surprise, however it’s encouraging they’re giving him the nod to Everett to start this season. He’ll need to make more contact and reduce the whiff in his game, but every other facet of his game is tantalizing. The combination of raw power, speed, and defense is up there with most anyone in the system.

The remaining outfielders are no slouches, each coming with an interesting toolset that should translate well to pro ball. Jones, who got some long looks with big-league camp this spring, has been around for a while and has shown well in Modesto while Donofrio has only played a handful of games after being drafted in last summer’s draft. Both possess a well rounded game with speed and power at the plate as well as above average defense. They should be consistent contributors to this lineup.

Starters

Jurrangelo Cijntje, Elijah Dale, Nick Payero, Ryan Hawks, Shaddon Peavyhouse

The belle of the ball here is clearly last year’s first rounder Jurrangelo Cijntje, the switch pitching phenomenon who features some wicked stuff and is already the team’s top arm talent on the farm. He’s a premium athlete that can pump upper-90’s with ride at the top of the zone, travels down the mound well, and performed well as a young pitcher in the SEC. It looks as though he’ll continue to switch pitch as a lefty when the situation calls for it, however it’s primarily a right handed look. He’s perhaps the most anticipated debut in the system this year, with only one young shortstop at Modesto rivaling his hype.

The rest of the projected rotation is less exciting, though nothing to scoff at. Mid season signing Nick Payero was great for the Frogs in limited action last season and may have unlocked something after being released by Cincinnati. Elijah Dale has a wicked slider and was steady for Modesto last season, though he likely profiles as a reliver long term. Ryan Hawks and Shaddon Peavyhouse each were in the Everett rotation last season and logged a healthy amount of innings for the team, something they’ll likely be tasked with once again.

Relievers

Charlie Beilenson, Tyler Cleveland, Will Fleming, Ben Hernandez, Jordan Jackson, Brock Moore, Stefan Raeth, Allan Saathoff, Gabriel Sosa, Evan Truitt, Jesse Wainscott

This group of relievers delivers a substantial number of fun storylines to follow, particularly with how many new faces there are to Everett. Charlie Beilenson, last year’s fifth rounder, features a double plus changeup and was amongst the best collegiate relievers last season. Tyler Cleveland comes at hitters with tremendous funk and has had excellent results in the past prior to some arm troubles last season. Will Fleming makes his return to the organization after being traded for Carlos Santana. Fleming at one point had a sinker he could touch the upper 90’s with, though his time in the Kansas City system saw that regress significantly. Ben Hernandez is another Royals castaway, this time however coming with significant prospect pedigree. Hernandez was a second rounder in the ill-fated 2020 draft and was selected out of highschool thanks to his plus changeup. The young right hander is still only 23 years old and might have some better luck with a superior organization in the pitching development department. Brock Moore possess a fastball that’s touched 102 and a wicked slider that piles up strikeouts, though he’s struggled with command. He’s a propsect we’re bullish on this season and could move quickly through the minors. Gabriel Sosa was solid last season and features a nasty slurvish breaking ball as well as a solid fastball. Raeth, Jackson, and Saathoff were all members of last year’s ‘pen and have some interesting traits on their breaking balls, though haven’t had the results to break through just yet. Finally, Evan Truitt and Jesse Wainscott were both part of last year’s draft class with Truitt being a 12th rounder and Wainscott a UDFA.