Mar 8, 2025; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Harry Ford (72) reacts after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images Allan Henry-Imagn Images

This Mariners Prospect Has 'Most To Prove' In Postseason Push

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners have one of the best catching prospects in baseball, Harry Ford, but they already have a Platinum Glove backstop in Cal Raleigh.

Still, Ford received his promotion to the big leagues to help the Mariners in their postseason push. With Ford on the roster, he could be forced to play a few different roles in order to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible.

FanSided's Christopher Kline recently suggested that Ford had the most to prove down the stretch for the Mariners.

Harry Ford has a lot to prove to the Mariners this year

"As rosters expand, the Seattle Mariners will welcome their No. 2 prospect Harry Ford into the fold. Ranked No. 39 overall at MLB Pipeline, Ford's call-up was a long time coming. He's only 22, but he has been rock-solid all season in Triple-A, giving the Mariners every incentive to promote him and see what happens," Kline wrote. "Here's the situation: Seattle is in a bit of a collective rut. That means Ford can meaningfully change the chemistry of this team and even earn starting reps for October if he performs well.

"The door is wide open. Well, almost. Ford is a catcher by trade. That happens to be the position occupied by MLB home run leader and AL MVP frontrunner Cal Raleigh. Those reps will be few and for between for Ford. Instead, the Atlanta-born backstop will need to learn a new position: outfield. Seattle's outfield depth chart has a few holes he can capitalize on. Ford has a .283 average and .868 OPS through 97 games in the Minors this season, belting 18 homers and driving in 74 runs."

Ford could see some time behind the dish despite the presence of Raleigh on the roster. He could also see time in the outfield, like Kline suggests. There's also the option to use him at designated hitter in a bit of a shared system with Raleigh. One of the two catchers could catch while the other is the DH and vice versa.

Either way, the Mariners called him up for this moment for a reason. They believe in him as a big leaguer, and it's time for him to repay their belief with some solid production.

More MLB: Mariners Superstar Tabbed 'Most Important Player of September'

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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