Selected by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2021 draft – the year that the Pirates took Henry Davis with the first overall pick – Harry Ford is/was knocking on the door of the majors, having demolished Triple-A pitching in 2025.
This article was ready to publish earlier today. It was a decent look at whether Harry would get his call to the majors or if he would lead GB in the European Championship, which starts on 20 September. It was a win-win situation for the young catcher.
However, in the interim period, before the article went live, the Seattle Mariners made roster moves to promote the GB catcher to the majors. The article was duly amended.
The 22-year-old is the complete package. This season, he has launched 16 home runs and swiped seven bags, while walking almost as many times as he strikes out. MLB’s Dan Kramer notes that Ford has taken “his game calling and receiving abilities behind the plate to a more polished level.”
The big question that surrounded MLB’s 40th-ranked prospect is whether he would get the call to join Seattle for their playoff push.
Currently, the Mariners occupy the final AL Wild Card spot, leading the Rangers by 2.5 games and the Royals by three games. Although, as they are only two games behind Houston, Seattle still has sights on the AL West title.
Selected for the MLB All-Star Futures Game, Ford has enjoyed an impressive season in Triple-A for the Tacoma Rainiers, despite being the youngest catcher in the PCL.
In any other organisation, the fans would have already expected to see Ford make his MLB debut as a stepping stone to taking over as first choice behind the plate, but the Mariners have a Big Dumper blocking Ford’s path.
Cal Raleigh burst onto the scene with a 27-homer campaign in 2022, and has not looked back. Only Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Pete Alonso have hit more home runs than Raleigh since the start of 2022. I find it astounding that Raleigh has more homers than Atlanta’s Matt Olson, despite playing far fewer games.
This season, the Mariners’ catcher has taken another stride forward and has more homers, RBI, and stolen bases than the presumptive AL MVP Aaron Judge, and he provides significantly more defensive value.
With the number one spot blocked, there was speculation that Ford could be called up to provide a bit of pop as backup catcher, or even a spark from the bench. He certainly has the athleticism to play the outfield.
The current backup catcher, Mitch Garver, hit just .182 in August, and has struggled mightily to a .528 OPS against right-handed pitching across the whole season.
Of course, it would be disingenuous not to declare a slight bias. Ford is the most important player in Great Britain’s national team, and his absence from the roster that is competing in the European Championship in Rotterdam, will be a boost to all of the other countries.
In last three major tournaments – WBC qualifier Regensburg (2022), WBC Phoenix (2023), and European Championship in Brno (2023) – Ford surpassed all expectations with his dynamic resilience, power in his bat and his youth-defying confidence behind the dish.
It will be intriguing to see how the Mariners utilise Ford’s skills. They are adamant that they want him to remain as a catcher, but they have also expressed a preference that he see consistent playing time.
Whatever happens, I think I am a Mariners fan for the rest of the 2025 season.
Featured image of Harry Ford by John E. Moore III/Getty Images
Gav has quit Twitter X but occasionally posts on Instagram, or you can contact him via Bat Flips & Nerds website and social media platforms. Want to write for us and share your baseball opinions with an audience of 10,000+? Click on the “Write for us” link above.
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