Five Short-A Everett players cited among league’s top prospects

SEATTLE — Five players from the Mariners’ Short-A Everett affiliate were cited Monday by Baseball America in its list of the Top 20 prospects in the Northwest League.

Outfielder Alex Jackson ranked fourth, followed by shortstop Drew Jackson (fifth), right-handed pitchers Andrew Moore (seventh) and Enyel de los Santos (15th), and left-handed pitcher Luiz Gohara (17th).

***Alex Jackson, 19, was the sixth overall pick in the 2014 and has, to date, shown only flashes of his potential. He was demoted after a poor start at Lo-A Clinton and batted only .239 in 48 games at Everett.

From Baseball America: "Jackson swings hard, with plus bat speed and double-plus raw power, but the accompanying strikeout rate (29 percent) remains an issue."

***Drew Jackson, 22, was a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and won the Northwest batting title at .358. He also stole 47 bases in 51 attempts and was picked as the league’s player of the year.

From Baseball America: "He has…a double-plus throwing arm that allows him to easily make throws from the left side. He’s a plus runner with smooth footwork who gets rid of the ball quickly."

***Moore, 21, was the 72nd overall pick in this year’s draft and 2.08 ERA in 14 games, including eight starts. He had 43 strikeouts in 39 innings and walked just two batters.

From Baseball America: "Moore does a good job repeating his over-the-top delivery, and his curveball grades as fringe-average to solid-average. He receives plus reviews for makeup and leadership."

***De Los Santos, 19, is a native Dominican who signed for a $15,000 bonus in July 2014. He was 3-0 with a 4.06 ERA in eight starts.

From Baseball America: "At the time he signed, de los Santos was not overpowering, but with a throwing program and better nutrition, his stuff has improved dramatically. His fastball now sits 93-95 mph."

***Gohara, 18, is a power left-hander from Brazil who signed in 2012 for $800,000. His command remains a concern: He walked 32 in 54 innings while going 3-7 with a 6.20 ERA in 14 starts.

From Baseball America: "Gohara shows a fastball that touches 94 mph and a slider that’s average and flashes plus."

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Five Short-A Everett players cited among league’s top prospects."