Seattle Mariners
A pair of Seattle Mariners prospects will be in action for the American League team when the annual MLB All-Star Futures Game takes place in front of the hometown fans at T-Mobile Park next month.
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Harry Ford, Seattle’s No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and Jonatan Clase, the team’s No. 11 prospect, were announced as participants Tuesday when the rosters were revealed.
Clase was one of six players announced for the Futures Game on Monday morning, while Ford was part of the full reveal later that afternoon.
The Futures Game is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 8 as one of the marquee events of the All-Star Week that is returning to Seattle for the first time since 2011.
Ford, 20, has already had a big year. He starred as the catcher for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic, hitting two home runs in four games of pool play and finishing 4 for 13 (.308) with a double and two walks in the tournament. Seattle’s first-round MLB Draft pick in 2021, Ford owns a .250/.407/.408 slash line for an .815 OPS with eight home runs and 14 stolen bases on 20 attempts in 64 games with the Single-A Everett AquaSox this season.
In MLB Pipeline’s new prospect rankings that were published Monday, Ford ranks at the No. 29 overall prospect in baseball.
In 2022, the athletic 5-foot-10, 200-pound backstop was named a Seattle Mariners MILB.com Organization All-Star for a strong year with the Low-A Modesto Nuts in which he slashed .274/.425/.438 for an .863 OPS with 11 home runs and 23 steals on 28 attempts.
The switch-hitting, 21-year-old Clase will be making the trip back to the Seattle area to represent the Mariners in the annual prospect showcase game.
An outfielder who is listed as 5-9 and 150 pounds, Clase began the 2023 season playing in the Pacific Northwest alongside Ford with the AquaSox. After posting an impressive .333/.453/.701 slash line for a 1.154 OPS with seven home runs and 17 stolen bases on 21 attempts in just 21 games, he was promoted to Double-A Arkansas. With the Travelers, Clase is slashing .201/.318/.426 for a .744 OPS with nine homers and 25 steals on 30 attempts in 44 games. His 16 homers between both levels this year are already a single-season career-high for Clase as a pro.
In 2022, Clase was named a Mariners MILB.com Organization All-Star after slashing .267/.373/.463 for an .836 OPS with 13 homers and 55 steals on 65 attempts in 107 games with Modesto.
With the AquaSox this year, Clase won back-to-back Northwest League Player of the Week Awards on April 23 and April 30, then was named NWL Player of the Month for April.
70-grade speed has turned into a trot for Jonatan Clase. The No. 12 @Mariners prospect connects on a three-run blast for the @EverettAquaSox: pic.twitter.com/ke2ZrbenEG — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 24, 2023
Seattle signed Clase out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent in 2018.
In terms of Pacific Northwest ties, Kyle Manzardo, a native of Couer d’Alene, Idaho who starred in college at WSU, will represent the Tampa Bay Rays as a first baseman on the AL roster. He is currently playing with the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
To see the full Futures Game rosters, click here.
The Futures Game will include a number of Seattle Mariners legends on the coaching staffs. Here are the full lists:
Future Game coaches – National League
• Manager: Raul Ibañez
• Pitching coach: Félix Hernández
• Bullpen coach: Joel Piñeiro
• Bench coach: Adrián Beltré
• Hitting coach: Jeremy Reed
• First base coach: Randy Winn
• Third base coach: Dan Wilson
• Trainer: Corey Tremble
• Quality control: Dan Otero
Future Game coaches – American League
• Manager: Harold Reynolds
• Pitching coach: Jamie Moyer
• Bullpen coach: Max Weiner
• Bench coach: Dave Valle
• Hitting coach: Alvin Davis
• First base coach: Jay Buhner
• Third base coach: Mike Cameron
• Trainer: Rick Griffin
• Trainer: Michael Feliciano
Also taking place on Saturday, July 8 at T-Mobile Park will be the annual All-Star Celebrity All-Star Game, which includes celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports as well as MLB legends. See the announced participants below:
Check out stars from the worlds of music, stage, screen and sports in the 2023 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game presented by @CoronaUSA. Here's a peek at who will take part July 8 in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/3f9Og0gQfc — MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2023
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Source: Seattle Sports
