26. Clint Nageotte- RHP SEA Outstanding slider?maybe the best in the Minors?and a plus fastball. That combo used to make me wonder if the bullpen wasn't in his future. I like the fact that he's improved as he's moved up and it took a trip to the Texas League for him to finally get his H/IP ratio into the good range. Now, I think he can and will be in the Mariners' rotation. Continued development with his change would be the icing on the cake. 36. Travis Blackley- LHP SEA An Australian, Blackley has been playing baseball for less than 5 years. Still, after working through some early mechanical issues, he was untouchable in a good hitter's league (Texas League). Upper 80's velocity is the best he can muster and that's fine for a lefty. His curveball is downright nasty and his change was equally effective in fooling hitters?to the tune of 144 K's. 42. Chris Snelling- OF SEA The epitome of a "baseball skills" player. Snelling was born to hit. What he lacks in tools, he makes up for in effort. The reason for dropping him in the rankings is my concern that he might become more of a pre-2003 Bill Mueller than a batting champion contender. Spending so much time on the DL, is 350 AB, a .290 average with 8 homers going to be his norm? 43. Jose Lopez- SS SEA Can it really be true that Lopez has only just turned 20? A 19-year old shortstop doesn't normally hit 35 doubles and 13 homers in Double A without garnering a huge amount of publicity. That's what Lopez did last summer. He'll never be a high walk player, but he at least makes very good contact. Some in Seattle think he's a perfect fit at short, but I'm not sure ?is a move to second or third in his future? 75. Shin-Soo Choo- OF SEA Choo has slipped a little in the rankings... partly because there's so much talent out there and partly because he's coming off a down season in some key areas. He's a good line-drive hitter with a short stroke that should hit for a good average, he'll run a little and it seems like there should be enough pop in his bat for 30-10-10 extra-base hits. He also plays good defense and has the arm to stay in right field. Right now, he's the likely successor to Ichiro. 97. Rett Johnson- RHP SEA Johnson throws a low-90's sinker and it's been a tough pitch to drive. His slider has been a decent pitch and in 2003, he started using his change more often?and with good results. Seeing him improve as he's moved up is also a good sign. Previously thought of as a future reliever, he's now going to get a shot at making the Mariners' rotation. Most notable omissions: Felix Hernandez (SEA)- The latest Sid Finch or is he for real? For this 17 year old phenom, I think it's way too early to tell. --

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