With the acquisition of Jesus Montero, the Mariners have managed to rebuild their farm system and now have one of the most formidable young players in baseball. Many of the players on this list would be in the top 3 of nearly any farm system and the top 7 are arguably better than half of the Astros lineup. Now, without further ado, my top 10 list.

1. Jesus Montero – Montero’s stock has gone up and down over the last year as his ability to catch long term is questionable. However, after reviewing the other top 10 lists that reviewed other top 10 lists from people that may or may not have ever seen Jesus Montero on anything other than YouTube, the bat is real, and even at DH he should be considerable force in the heart of the Mariners lineup.

2. Danny Hultzen – At the time of the draft, Hultzen upset a lot of Mariner fans, mostly because he was not Anthony Rendon. But since then, most fans have come around, although many are still very upset that he’s not Trevor Bauer. He throws hard, has good control of the strike zone, and after reviewing the other top 10 lists that reviewed other top 10 lists from people that may or may not have ever seen Danny Hultzen on anything other than YouTube, he may already be able to make an impact. Look for him near the end of 2012, and consider penciling him in behind Felix to start 2013.

3. Taijuan Walker – While he broke onto the scene unpolished and was seen by many as an overdraft, Taijuan has already flashed more talent than I think even the Mariners expected. One of the interesting things about Walker that few people talk about is that he does not currently have aggressive elephantiasis, so that shouldn’t be expected to hold him back as he makes his way through the minors. With their pitching talent, the Mariners are likely to take it slow with Taijuan, but if you’ve seen the other top 10 lists that reviewed other top 10 lists from people that may or may not have ever seen Taijuan Walker on anything other than YouTube, you have to believe in the talent.

4. James Paxton – Noted Vinylmation enthusiast James Paxton was not expected to show this much talent after spending so long away from professional baseball, but it’s clear he took the Independent Leagues seriously, as he’s already being considered for a rotation spot as early as this year. His stuff isn’t as impressive as Walker, but after reviewing the other top 10 lists that reviewed other top 10 lists from people that may or may not have ever seen James Paxton on anything other than YouTube, Paxton is close to ready now, and barring injury will be wearing a Mariner uniform by 2013.

5. Jabari Blash – The only thing preventing Blash from reaching number one on this prospect list was the lack of other people putting Jabari Blash on their prospect lists. Blash has shown above average names across the board, and his lightning quick speed will really make him an asset in the field and in the bedroom. Look for Jabari Blash to make an immediate impact if he’s called up to the Minors, but don’t be surprised if the Mariners take it slow with Blash as they start to print jerseys and invent a Hawaiian themed alcoholic beverage. I’ve personally reviewed a number of websites that reviewed other websites that may or may not have seen prospect videos from 2009 about Blash on YouTube, and I’m confident in calling Blash a guaranteed baseball player.

6. Vincent Catricula – Like Blash, Catricula is a person. After reviewing the other top 10 lists that reviewed other top 10 lists from people that may or may not have ever seen a dog skateboarding on anything other than YouTube, Catricula is now blocked as a DH but still has potential as a guy that people mention that could have been a DH. Should every player on the Mariners get injured, expect to see Catricula as a backup catcher and/or shortstop in the not too distant but improbable future.