Mariners Announce 2025 Minor League Award Winners
Published on September 23, 2025 under Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
Seattle Mariners Director of Player Development Justin Toole announced today the following minor league award winners for the 2025 season:
Lazaro Montes, OF, Ken Griffey Jr. Hitter of the Year
Ryan Sloan, RHP, Jamie Moyer Pitcher of the Year
Colt Emerson, INF, Alvin Davis "Mr. Mariner" Award
Tyler Cleveland, RHP, Dan Wilson Community Service Award
Blake Rambusch, INF, Edgar Martinez "Dominate The Zone" Tournament Award (Hitter)
Nick Davila, RHP, "Dominate The Zone" Tournament Award (Pitcher)
Shawn O'Malley, Hitting Coach, Dave Henderson Staff Member of the Year
Montes, 20, batted .241 (118x490) with 76 runs, 19 doubles, 7 triples, 32 home runs, 89 RBI, 83 walks and 7 stolen bases, getting on base at a .354 clip and slugging .504 for a .911 OPS in 131 games between High-A Everett (67 G) and Double-A Arkansas (64 G) this season. Montes was also named Ken Griffey Jr. Hitter of the Year in 2024.
The left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing outfielder, who was named a 2025 Northwest League All-Star and the 2025 NWL Most Valuable Player, is currently ranked as the Mariners #3 prospect and the #28 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline. Montes was also named Mariners Minor League Co-Hitter of the Year following 2023.
Montes' 32 home runs ranked T-3rd by any minor leaguer in 2025. In 67 games to start the season with the Everett AquaSox, he hit .268 (67x250) with 43 runs, 12 doubles, 5 triples, 18 homers, 50 RBI and 48 walks with a .959 OPS. He was promoted to Double-A Arkansas in late June, where he batted .213 (51x240) with 33 runs, 7 doubles, 14 homers, 39 RBI and 35 walks with a .752 OPS in 64 games. His 18 home runs with Everett ranked 4th-most on the AquaSox this season, while his 14 home runs for Arkansas tied for the team lead with the Travelers, despite playing in only half the games for each team. He recorded a home run in back-to-back games 7 times this season and had 3 multi-home run games.
Sloan, 19, went 2-4 with a 3.73 ERA (34 ER, 82.0 IP) with 15 walks and 90 strikeouts in 21 starts between Class-A Modesto (8 G) and High-A Everett (3 G) in 2025. The right-hander allowed 2-or-fewer runs in 16 of his 21 games and held opponents scoreless in 6 of his 21 games. He was named a Single-A California League All-Star for the Nuts this season.
Sloan had a dominant month of July, going 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA (2 ER, 16.0 IP) with 3 walks and 20 strikeouts in 4 starts, holding opponents to a .164 batting average (9x55) with a 0.75 WHIP during that stretch. The Mariners #5 prospect and #41 overall by MLB Pipeline was promoted to High-A Everett in August and made 3 starts, recording 13 strikeouts and no walks across 11.1 innings pitched. The former 2nd round pick (2024) out of York, Elmhurst, IL recorded 2-or-fewer walks in all of his 21 starts this season, 1-or-fewer in 17 of his 21 starts and no walks in 10 of his 21 starts.
Emerson, 20, is the Mariners #1 prospect and the #11 overall per MLB Pipeline. The left-handed hitting infielder hit .286 (144x503) with 82 runs, 28 doubles, 6 triples, 16 home runs, 78 RBI, 71 walks and 14 stolen bases with a .846 OPS between 3 levels: High-A Everett (90 G), Double-A Arkansas (34 G) and Triple-A Tacoma (6 G).
Emerson ended the season with Tacoma, going 8-for-22 in 27 plate appearances, recording a home run in his first game with the Rainiers. He was named a 2025 High-A Northwest League All-Star, batting .281 (96x342) with 58 runs, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 51 RBI, 54 walks and 6 stolen bases. Emerson was also named Northwest League's Top MLB Prospect.
Emerson was Seattle's first selection (22nd overall) in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of John Glenn High School (OH). In 224 career professional games in the Mariners organization, the 20-year-old is batting .287 (250x871) with 165 runs, 55 doubles, 7 triples, 22 homers, 128 RBI, 138 walks and 37 stolen bases with an .840 OPS.
Cleveland, 26, consistently volunteered at every youth baseball clinic hosted by both High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas during his time with the teams in 2025. He exhibited exemplary leadership skills and a positive presence to young softball and baseball players, notably at Everett's Play Ball clinic and across local community events in Arkansas. His passion to inspire and develop the next generation of young athletes made a lasting impact on the areas and people he worked with.
The right-handed reliever appeared in 41 minor league games with High-A Everett (23 G) and Double-A Arkansas (18 G), going 3-1 with an 0.87 ERA (5 ER, 51.2 IP) and 50 walks compared to 17 walks. Cleveland was originally selected by Seattle in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Central Arkansas.
Rambusch, 26, hit .262 (89x340) with 62 runs, 11 doubles, 5 triples, 27 RBI, 34 stolen bases and 45 walks, getting on base at a .354 clip in 103 games with Double-A Arkansas. The right-handed hitting infielder reached base safely in 79 of his 103 games played this season.
Rambusch was originally selected by Seattle in the 15th round of the 2022 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Auburn University. In 270 career professional games across 4 seasons in the Mariners organization, the 26-year-old is batting .270 (222x822) with 155 runs, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 3 home runs, 72 RBI, 128 walks, and 90 stolen bases with a .383 OBP.
Davila, 26, went 1-4 with a 3.55 ERA (20 ER, 50.2 IP) in 39 relief appearances with Double-A Arkansas in 2025. The 6-foot-3 right-hander registered 22 walks and 40 strikeouts, posting 7.11 strikeouts-per-9 innings. He was originally signed by the Detroit Tigers in 2020 out of the University of South Florida and was signed by Seattle on March 27, 2023.
O'Malley helped lead the Tacoma Rainiers to the 2025 Pacific Coast League Championship as the club's hitting coach, their first chance at a title since 2021. Among all Triple-A Teams this season, Rainiers batters ranked 4th in hits (1455), 3rf in RBI (885), 3rd in walks (704) and 2nd in OBP (.375). O'Malley joined the Rainiers as their Hitting Coach in 2024 and has spent six seasons in the Mariners organization. He previously spent 2 seasons (2022-23) as Hitting Coach for Double-A Arkansas. Prior to that, he served as Hitting Coach for High-A Everett in 2021.
O'Malley's professional playing career spanned 13 seasons, including parts of 3 Major League seasons with Los Angeles-AL (2014) and Seattle (2015-16). The native of Richland, Washington was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the 5th round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Southridge High School in Kennewick.
The AquaSox kick off next season on Friday, April 3rd, against the Spokane Indians at Avista Stadium before coming home for the 2026 Home Opener on Tuesday, April 7, against the Tri-City Dust Devils.
Northwest League Stories from September 23, 2025
- Mariners Announce 2025 Minor League Award Winners - Everett AquaSox
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