Danny Hultzen News

McCarthy, a Scranton High School grad, was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's freshman of the year after finishing the regular season with a .333 batting average, 47 RBIs and 65 hits.

It was absolutely unbelievable-no one could hit Zach Quate . He was just a 14th round pick in 2009 out of Appalachian State University as a 6'1", 200 right-hander but blew by Short Season-A hitters in his pro debut, managing a 0.35 ERA, an 11.8 K/9, a 1.4 BB/9, a 0.0 HR/9, and 13 saves in 18 appearances and 26 innings pitched.

With another week in the books for the 2013 season, the Mariners farm system continues to flex its muscles as one of the deepest in the league.

For two starts, Brandon Maurer looked like a rookie who was in way over his head.

Seattle Mariners fans have waited a long time for a specific crop of young, talented prospects to make it to the big leagues.

After coming to Seattle from the Colorado Rockies early in the season, Aarong Harang has struggled as a Mariner.

The Seattle Mariners have not exactly started out strong in 2013. Does that mean we will see more prospects right away this season, or fewer? To be sure, the season is not over, and the Mariners still have the potential to turn things around.

Danny Hultzen was at Safeco Field on Sunday, but this wasn't the glorious call-up of one of the game's premier left-handed pitching prospects.

After his first five starts this season he is tied for the league lead with 32 strikeouts and holding opponents to just a .150 batting average.

Take Friday night at Safeco Field. Seattle introduced a never-before-seen, possibly grunge-inspired promotional item called the "Beard Hat." They had Jason Bay lead off, something that he'd never done in more than a decade in the Major Leagues.

Danny Hultzen, Seattle's No. 2 prospect behind right-hander Taijuan Walker, was scratched from his start for Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, and on Friday it was announced that Hultzen has a left rotator cuff strain and tendinitis.

Mariners prospect and left-hander Danny Hultzen was scratched from Thursday's start for Triple-A Tacoma after he had trouble getting loose before the game, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com . The team is not terribly worried just yet.

Las Vegas played for the first time since Sunday, and while the bats displayed no rust, the same can not be said about the bullpen as they allowed seven runs in the top of the ninth to blow a four run lead.

A matchup of two of the top pitching prospects in baseball never materialized Thursday night at Las Vegas' Cashman Field.

My sense is that the guys in charge needed a non-embarrassing season to keep their jobs, to keep organizational faith in the process, and show that there were positive steps in the right direction, even if those steps didn't result in a winning season just yet.

As the Seattle Mariners offense continues to struggle at the major league level, fans can at least hold some sort of solace in the success that the majority of the minor league system is having.