Chasing The Storm 2055-4 Minor League Review

[njherdfan]

This season's disappointing performance for the Storm had fans understandably upset. Despite that, it might be worth taking a look at Seattle's minor league system to see what, if anything, might be on the horizon for Seattle's future. There are some bright lights and some question marks; let's take a look!

Any discussion of Seattle's minor league system has to start with Michael Buckley. Buckley was the 2nd pick in the 2024 draft and he came into the minor leagues with a reputation as a superb hitter with some defensive question marks. That has largely proven to be the case during his rapid ascent through the minor leagues. At the age of 21, Buckley finished the season in AAA Pasco, where he put up an OPS of .971 and hit 20 home runs in less than half a season. He even produced decent defensive numbers in right field! We never want to label prospects as "can't miss," because anyone can miss, but smart money has Buckley making the majors early next season, and he should be a key contributor from the time he's called up.

On the mound, Seattle's prospects are a bit murkier. Scouts rave about Mahmut Binark's abilities, as they say he has the talent to be one of the Brewster's top pitchers if all goes well. Of course, that's a pretty large caveat. Binark is already 22 years old and struggled in Single-A Lake City this past year; needless to say, there's a long way between Lake City and Seattle, and while Binark still has time to make that journey, it would be great to see that development happen sooner rather than later. If he can progress, there will be plenty of room for him in Seattle's rotation in the near future!

Finally, there's a good chance we might see Clyde Hughes making his Seattle debut next season. There are major doubts about whether he can play anywhere in the field, but if he hits as well as people have speculated that he can, that might not matter, as he could be Seattle's DH of the future.