The Mariners have reached the fun part of the minor-league calendar. They’ve reached their midway point, and it’s time for promotions in the organization. This season, they have a few names that stare directly at them.
Some of these guys are close enough to the majors that their second-half assignments could shape the 2027 roster conversation. Others are simply beating up on competition that no longer feels like a big enough test.
Either way, it’s time for the Mariners to start moving some people.
Lazaro Montes: Double-A to Triple-A
By now, everyone paying attention knows Lazaro Montes has been tearing the cover off the ball in Double-A. He has 21 home runs and 55 RBI with a .231/.342/.537 slash line. He’s already proven he can leave the yard in Double-A’s pitcher friendly confines.
The one thing holding back the conversation is the strikeout rate sitting at 29.2 percent. That can’t exactly be waved off.
But guess who else carried a high strikeout rate before getting pushed? Colt Emerson.
Now, to be fair, Emerson made up for it with an OBP over .400. Montes is not quite doing that. He still has to show he can tighten the zone and avoid letting upper-level pitchers live off the hook.
But that’s also why Triple-A makes sense. Montes has already shown the power plays in Double-A. The next question is whether he can make the right adjustments against more mature arms.
Michael Arroyo: Double-A to Triple-A
Michael Arroyo has not been as loud as Montes, but he has been as steady as it gets in the system. He’s slashing .264/.346/.401 in Double-A with seven home runs. For a line-drive hitter in a league that can play big, that’s a strong enough foundation.
The walk rate is the one thing that keeps this from being a completely clean profile. Arroyo is walking at an 8.6 percent clip, which is fine, but not exactly screaming patience. The interesting part is that he isn’t striking out much either, with a 17.3 percent strikeout rate.
That can cut both ways. On one hand, it speaks to how advanced his contact skills are. On the other, it almost feels like Arroyo makes so much contact that it might be holding back his on-base ceiling a little bit.
That’s the kind of thing Triple-A can help answer. Arroyo and Montes have moved up together over the past two seasons, and there’s no reason to overthink it now. Sending both to Triple-A for the second half makes perfect sense. The Mariners should want both of them competing for a major league roster spot heading into 2027. That becomes a lot more realistic if they get a real Triple-A runway now.
Felnin Celesten: High-A to Double-A
Honestly, Felnin Celesten should have been promoted yesterday. There’s no need to make this more complicated than it is. Celesten has looked fully back in High-A Everett. He’s slashing .310/.409/.491 with nine home runs and 39 RBI.
The plate discipline makes the case even stronger. Celesten has a 13 percent walk rate and a 19.6 percent strikeout rate.
So, he’s proven he can handle High-A. Now let’s send him to Double-A and see what happens.
That jump would tell us a lot and Celesten has earned the right to face that test.
Mason Peters: Single-A to High-A
Mason Peters has made Single-A hitters look uncomfortable all season. The left-hander has a 1.41 ERA over 44 2/3 innings with 63 strikeouts. He’s 22 years old, was drafted in the fourth round in 2025 and has looked like a pitcher whose stuff is already too much for the level.
The most encouraging part is that Peter’s last two starts were important milestones because they showed he can stretch out and handle a starter’s workload.
Over those two outings, Peters allowed just six hits and one earned run, which came on a solo homer. He also struck out 12 across 10 innings.
There is no reason to let Peters keep punching down when he has already shown the stuff, the results and the workload growth to justify a promotion.
These are the moves worth watching closely because they could tell us who is actually pushing toward Seattle, who might be part of the next major league roster. The answer should be pretty simple. Now it’s time to give them the next test.
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