Seattle Mariners Minor League Roundup – Week Three

**Tacoma Rainiers**

Tacoma dropped the series against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, losing four of six on the week with little life shown throughout. Hopefully they’re able to shake this one and get back on the right track.

Colt Emerson gives the Rainiers a 1-0 lead in the 9th. 2nd hit, 3rd time on base & 2 stolen bases for Colt. pic.twitter.com/mfp7fyZmjG

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 8, 2026 The weekly check in on boy-wonder Colt Emerson is less flattering this week. Going 6-23 with seven strikeouts and two walks, Emerson struggled at the plate and showed his first bit of “being 20 at the Triple-A level”. Learning how to hit the junk-ballers of Triple-A will be valuable experience for the young phenom, and despite his lack of overwhelming production thus far, Emerson should still be on track to debut with the big league club some time this summer. Immaculate inning to end the game for @RainiersLand

righty Alex Hoppe even gets a little ABS assistance to go 9 pitches, 9 strikes, 1 save ✨ pic.twitter.com/uDB2Ff7OeW

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 8, 2026 Alex Hoppe continues to look like the best arm in this bullpen. Having logged six innings without allowing a run, Hoppe has K’ed ten batters and walked just two, looking like a potential shut down reliever that could contribute to the big league roster tomorrow. He’s changed up his arsenal from last year and is throwing fastball-slider almost exclusively, mixing in a cutter and all but scrapping his changeup. There’s a tangible difference to how Hoppe is going about his business, making his improvements on the mound that much more exciting.

**Arkansas Travelers**

The Travs showed off some excellent pitching this series, splitting a series against the Wind Surge that was relatively low scoring across the board. The bats are looking a little lethargic right now, but the pitching has picked them up big time, keeping them afloat as the season gets underway.

So this Kade Anderson guy … pretty good huh?!

5 no-hit innings and 11 strikeouts from the @Mariners' 2025 first-round pick in his second @ARTravs start: pic.twitter.com/1UzP6l00Vb

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 11, 2026 The story here is Kade Anderson. As written up by Kate Preusser here, Kade was lights out on Friday night, working five no-hit innings with 11 punchouts and two walks. The left hander has lived up to the hype in every way over his first two outings, maintaining his perfect ERA with a high K rate and very little traffic on the basepaths. Frankly, there’s been nothing to complain about thus far. He’s looked amazing. Final line for Ryan Sloan in his 2nd start at Double-A: 4IP, 4H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 4K, 48 pitches, 31 strikes. pic.twitter.com/NVVVRQg98y

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 12, 2026 Ryan Sloan, another young phenom in this rotation, also turned in a fine start this weekend. Allowing one run across four innings, Sloan was the victim of some unfortunate defense from the Travs and probably could have escaped with a scoreless line, but regardless, the 20 year old looks like he belongs in Double-A and should be able to hold his own as the season progresses. There are very few one-two punches that can compete with what the Travs can offer, and that alone should give them ample opportunity at making a run at the playoffs this season.

**Everett AquaSox**

The Frogs have easily had the most compelling start of any minor league affiliate in this system. Taking four of six from the Dust Devils, they now find themselves above .500 and playing some really compelling ball. If you’re in the area, get out and watch these guys!

Josh Caron doubles and Matthew Ellis singles to knot the game 2-2! pic.twitter.com/aBmeddeDBe

— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) April 12, 2026 The dynamic duo of catchers fueling this lineup, both Luke Stevenson and Josh Caron have been fantastic to start this season. Caron, a fourth rounder in the 2024 class, struggled last season, but he’s gotten things back on track and looks like a much better player than he was just a season ago. He’s ambushing pitches and doing damage, and though it’s not an approach that’ll land him a sterling OBP, his slug-first mentality is what got him drafted, and getting back to it is probably his best shot at advancing to the big league level. Stevenson, however, has had little issue getting on base. Last year’s 35th overall pick, the former Tar Heel is slashing .400/.518/.650 through 27 PA’s this season, playing a fantastic defensive catcher to boot. He’s looking more and more like one of the best players in the class, and his upside is truly immense. He’s approaching must-know territory. Crushed. Luke Stevenson blasts a 3-run HR for his first HR at HiA. pic.twitter.com/rJLIcUZVZI

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 10, 2026 This bullpen is a ton of fun. Newcomer Casey Hintz, the newest funky sidearmer in the system, has been great thus far, striking out five across the first three innings and allowing just two total baserunners. Christian Little, who’s been working out of the bullpen after starting last year, has also looked great, striking out eight in his first 3.2 innings of the year. He’s worked multiple innings in both of his outings and could be on a buildup plan to get back to starting at some point this season, though that piece is pure speculation at this point in time. Brock Moore tonight: 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 6K, 24 pitches, 19 strikes. Upper 90’s with the FB. Dominant. pic.twitter.com/IOIBTXTDmo

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 9, 2026 The king of the ‘pen, however, is Brock Moore. The hulking flamethrower is finally throwing strikes, and he’s been nearly untouchable thus far. Having logged four innings on the year, Moore has tallied 11 strikeouts and no walks, only surrendering one hit all season. He’s pumping triple-digit velocity from a low slot and has wipeout secondary pitches he can use to hitters of either handedness. If he’s truly figured out a cue to get him over the plate with any sort of consistency, this is a high leverage arm that could pitch in a major league bullpen sooner than later. Outstanding start by Colton Shaw. Final line: 6IP, 3H, 0R, 0BB, 7K, 65 pitches, 47 strikes.

**Inland Empire 66ers**

A fun squad of players in their own right, Modesto has had some dramatic finishes thus far despite just two wins on the year. Consistency has been tough for this team on a night to night basis, and it’s going to have to improve if they’re going to get into the win column regularly. The pitching took a step in the right direction this week; hopefully the bats will follow suit.

Mason Peters is up to 9 strikeouts through 4 innings. Only 1 walk allowed. pic.twitter.com/Cxpf3T96bt

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 11, 2026 Mason Peters, a personal favorite from last year’s class, showed off the goods that got him drafted in the fourth round last July. Working four hitless innings and racking up nine punchouts, Peters would allow just one baserunner on a walk, dicing up opposing hitters with his collection of high-spin breaking balls. He looked dynamic on the mound and seems like a guy that’s going to pop in this pitching development system. Everything about him screams Mariner. WALK IT OFF Korbyn Dickerson! pic.twitter.com/v7AErgPTUl

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) April 11, 2026 This offense hasn’t been terribly potent at this point, but the duo of Korbyn Dickerson and Ricardo Cova remain a legitimate threat in the heart of this order. Dickerson, last year’s fifth rounder, is striking out quite a bit, but with a healthy amount of walks, good slug, and above average defense in centerfield, he more than makes up for the whiff elsewhere. Cova, the undersized middle infielder, is doing a bit of everything offensively, batting over .400 and getting plenty of thump to pair with his bat-to-ball skills. The sample size is still very small at this point, but early returns for these two have been incredibly positive.