Harry Ford

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: The son of two British nationals, Ford was born and raised in Georgia and emerged as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall and signed him for $4,366,400 after he dazzled general manager Jerry Dipoto in a pre-draft workout. Ford finished fourth in the California League with a .425 on-base percentage in his first full season and blossomed on an international stage in 2023. He hit .308 with two home runs as Great Britain’s cleanup hitter and starting catcher in the World Baseball Classic and led the Brits to their first WBC win. He finished second in the Northwest League with an .840 OPS in 2023 and started the Futures Game in Seattle.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford is an exceptional athlete by any measure, but especially for a catcher. He is a plus runner with twitchy, explosive actions and a strong frame. He has a short, impactful righthanded swing and drives the ball in the air from gap to gap. He is an exceedingly patient hitter and almost never chases out of the strike zone. Ford draws walks and hits the ball hard on contact but is prone to swinging and missing in the zone. He can be passive early in counts and gets beat by good velocity. He has the athleticism to adjust and be an average hitter with average power in time. Ford’s athleticism translates behind the plate. He gets out of the crouch quickly to corral popups and dribblers and controls running games with his above-average arm strength and quick release. His blocking and receiving are fringy but improving with experience. He is an advanced game-caller and natural leader.
  
  The Future: Ford projects to be an everyday catcher who gets on base and provides versatility with his athleticism. He’ll open at Double-A Arkansas in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #1 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Ford emerged as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class and became known as a 'unicorn' due to his plus speed. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall after he wowed team officials, including general manager Jerry Dipoto, during a private batting practice, and they signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford started his first full season slowly at Low-A Modesto as he battled shoulder tightness and a sprained ankle, but he took off once he got healthy. He hit .300 with a .942 OPS from June 1 through the end of the season and finished fourth in the league overall with a .425 on-base percentage. He capped his season by hitting .455 with three home runs for Great Britain, where his parents were born, in the World Baseball Classic qualifier to help the nation qualify for its first WBC.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford is a rare athlete on the baseball diamond. He is built like a wrestler with a short, strong, compact frame but has the speed and explosiveness of a relay runner, posting plus run times and flying around the bases once he gets underway. Ford's strength and twitchiness serve him well in the batter's box, where he makes frequent contact with a simple, direct swing from the right side. He has a natural feel for driving balls the other way to right-center field and has the hand-eye coordination, barrel feel and patient approach to be an above-average hitter. He works counts and draws walks with his advanced pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline, helping him post a high OBP even when he's slumping. Ford will swing and miss against pitches up in the zone, but when he connects, he has the natural strength to drive balls over the fence from left-center to right-center. He crushes lefthanders in particular and has a chance to reach average power at maturity. Ford's athleticism allows him to make standout plays behind the plate, including chasing popups far down the lines and making quick throws off balls in the dirt. He still has to improve his blocking and receiving, especially when catching good breaking stuff or pitchers, but he has the physical traits and work ethic to keep average defense in reach. He has plus arm strength and is adept at throwing from multiple arm angles. Ford is a benevolent, thoughtful individual who is invested in his teammates' well-being. He organized rides to the ballpark for Modesto teammates without cars and brought a cake for every player who had a birthday during the season.
  
  The Future: Ford has the foundational skills to catch, but with Cal Raleigh entrenched in Seattle, his athleticism will allow him to move to second or third base. Ford's combination of strength, speed and plate discipline gives him a chance to be an above-average, everyday regular in the Mariners' lineup.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #7 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Ford stood out for his premium athleticism at East Coast Pro and solidified his place as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class with a strong senior spring. The Mariners considered him one of the top three high school players in the class after he dazzled general manager Jerry Dipoto and other club executives during a private, pre-draft batting practice, and Seattle selected him 12th overall and signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and hit .291 with 10 extra-base hits in 19 games, including three homers in his final five games.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford isn’t particularly big at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, but he packs plenty of bat speed and strength in his compact frame. He consistently squares balls up with his excellent hand-eye coordination and barrel awareness and drives the ball to all fields to project as an above-average hitter. He is a patient hitter who takes an opposite-field approach aimed at lining balls the other way, but he shows surprising plus raw power when he turns on balls. Ford is a plus runner, rare for a catcher, and has the athleticism to play multiple positions. His blocking and receiving need to improve, but his flexibility, strong hands and work ethic give him a chance to be an average defensive catcher in time. His above-average arm strength plays at any position.
  
  The Future: The Mariners will develop Ford as a catcher and believe he’ll stick there. Even if he doesn’t, his hitting ability and multi-positional versatility give him plenty of avenues to the majors.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #17 prospect in 2021 draft
  The state of Georgia has produced a few uniquely athletic high school catchers in recent years including the ambidextrous and switch-hitting Anthony Seigler in 2018 and now Ford in 2021. Ford has been described as a “unicorn” thanks to speed that’s almost unheard of at the catcher position. Ford ran the second-fastest 60-yard dash time at East Coast Pro last summer (6.42) and is a legitimate plus runner with the athleticism to handle a number of positions, including third base, second base or even center field if a team wants to try him there. He hasn’t spent much game time at any of those positions, but evaluators have liked his actions in the infield during workout environments and with above-average arm strength and quick-twitch mobility, he has the toolset to handle such a transition if a team wanted to move him through the minors more quickly. Offensively, Ford has plenty of bat speed and lots of natural strength in a compact, 5-foot-10, 200-pound frame. Ford has shown solid bat-to-ball skills and barrel awareness in the past, but some evaluators think he’ll be more of a power-over-hit offensive player in the future thanks to a low handset and a hook in his swing that could limit him. Ford was one of the more impressive performers over the summer but has had more of a solid than a spectacular spring with the bat. Like most prep catchers, Ford has refinement to do behind the plate, but he has all of the physical and mental tools teams believe are necessary at the next level. He will occasionally muff pitches or fail to stick a backhand but has strong hands and is flexible with more than enough athleticism for the position and at least an above-average arm that gets some plus grades as well. Ford is committed to Georgia Tech, but will likely be drafted too high to make it to campus. His range is fairly wide, which might be natural for a prep catcher considering the track record of the demographic, with some interest among the top-10 picks but it’s more likely he goes off the board in the 10-30 range.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #9 prospect in 2021
  The Mariners used the 12th overall pick this year to select Ford, the ultra-rare catcher who is a plus runner. With a strong body giving him plenty of bat speed, he uses a strong line-drive swing with the power to put the ball out of the park, and all three of his home runs came in his last five ACL games. Ford sees the ball well and has a good idea of which pitches to take and which pitches to swing at. He still has work to do behind the plate to fine-tune his catching technique, but he has a strong arm and blocks well. While his speed and athleticism would allow Ford to play other positions, his intangibles will help him remain behind the plate. “As a catcher, you’re a leader. You’re the guy who the entire field can see,” Mariners manager Austin Knight said, “so him embracing how important that selfless mentality is has been good to see.”

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #62 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #61 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #64 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Ford emerged as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class and became known as a 'unicorn' due to his plus speed. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall after he wowed team officials, including general manager Jerry Dipoto, during a private batting practice, and they signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford started his first full season slowly at Low-A Modesto as he battled shoulder tightness and a sprained ankle, but he took off once he got healthy. He hit .300 with a .942 OPS from June 1 through the end of the season and finished fourth in the league overall with a .425 on-base percentage. He capped his season by hitting .455 with three home runs for Great Britain, where his parents were born, in the World Baseball Classic qualifier to help the nation qualify for its first WBC.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford is a rare athlete on the baseball diamond. He is built like a wrestler with a short, strong, compact frame but has the speed and explosiveness of a relay runner, posting plus run times and flying around the bases once he gets underway. Ford's strength and twitchiness serve him well in the batter's box, where he makes frequent contact with a simple, direct swing from the right side. He has a natural feel for driving balls the other way to right-center field and has the hand-eye coordination, barrel feel and patient approach to be an above-average hitter. He works counts and draws walks with his advanced pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline, helping him post a high OBP even when he's slumping. Ford will swing and miss against pitches up in the zone, but when he connects, he has the natural strength to drive balls over the fence from left-center to right-center. He crushes lefthanders in particular and has a chance to reach average power at maturity. Ford's athleticism allows him to make standout plays behind the plate, including chasing popups far down the lines and making quick throws off balls in the dirt. He still has to improve his blocking and receiving, especially when catching good breaking stuff or pitchers, but he has the physical traits and work ethic to keep average defense in reach. He has plus arm strength and is adept at throwing from multiple arm angles. Ford is a benevolent, thoughtful individual who is invested in his teammates' well-being. He organized rides to the ballpark for Modesto teammates without cars and brought a cake for every player who had a birthday during the season.
  
  The Future: Ford has the foundational skills to catch, but with Cal Raleigh entrenched in Seattle, his athleticism will allow him to move to second or third base. Ford's combination of strength, speed and plate discipline gives him a chance to be an above-average, everyday regular in the Mariners' lineup.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Ford emerged as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class and became known as a 'unicorn' due to his plus speed. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall after he wowed team officials, including general manager Jerry Dipoto, during a private batting practice, and they signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford started his first full season slowly at Low-A Modesto as he battled shoulder tightness and a sprained ankle, but he took off once he got healthy. He hit .300 with a .942 OPS from June 1 through the end of the season and finished fourth in the league overall with a .425 on-base percentage. He capped his season by hitting .455 with three home runs for Great Britain, where his parents were born, in the World Baseball Classic qualifier to help the nation qualify for its first WBC.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford is a rare athlete on the baseball diamond. He is built like a wrestler with a short, strong, compact frame but has the speed and explosiveness of a relay runner, posting plus run times and flying around the bases once he gets underway. Ford's strength and twitchiness serve him well in the batter's box, where he makes frequent contact with a simple, direct swing from the right side. He has a natural feel for driving balls the other way to right-center field and has the hand-eye coordination, barrel feel and patient approach to be an above-average hitter. He works counts and draws walks with his advanced pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline, helping him post a high OBP even when he's slumping. Ford will swing and miss against pitches up in the zone, but when he connects, he has the natural strength to drive balls over the fence from left-center to right-center. He crushes lefthanders in particular and has a chance to reach average power at maturity. Ford's athleticism allows him to make standout plays behind the plate, including chasing popups far down the lines and making quick throws off balls in the dirt. He still has to improve his blocking and receiving, especially when catching good breaking stuff or pitchers, but he has the physical traits and work ethic to keep average defense in reach. He has plus arm strength and is adept at throwing from multiple arm angles. Ford is a benevolent, thoughtful individual who is invested in his teammates' well-being. He organized rides to the ballpark for Modesto teammates without cars and brought a cake for every player who had a birthday during the season.
  
  The Future: Ford has the foundational skills to catch, but with Cal Raleigh entrenched in Seattle, his athleticism will allow him to move to second or third base. Ford's combination of strength, speed and plate discipline gives him a chance to be an above-average, everyday regular in the Mariners' lineup.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Ford stood out for his premium athleticism at East Coast Pro and solidified his place as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class with a strong senior spring. The Mariners considered him one of the top three high school players in the class after he dazzled general manager Jerry Dipoto and other club executives during a private, pre-draft batting practice, and Seattle selected him 12th overall and signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and hit .291 with 10 extra-base hits in 19 games, including three homers in his final five games.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford isn&#39t particularly big at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, but he packs plenty of bat speed and strength in his compact frame. He consistently squares balls up with his excellent hand-eye coordination and barrel awareness and drives the ball to all fields to project as an above-average hitter. He is a patient hitter who takes an opposite-field approach aimed at lining balls the other way, but he shows surprising plus raw power when he turns on balls. Ford is a plus runner, rare for a catcher, and has the athleticism to play multiple positions. His blocking and receiving need to improve, but his flexibility, strong hands and work ethic give him a chance to be an average defensive catcher in time. His above-average arm strength plays at any position.
  
  The Future: The Mariners will develop Ford as a catcher and believe he&#39ll stick there. Even if he doesn&#39t, his hitting ability and multi-positional versatility give him plenty of avenues to the majors.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55. Power: 50. Speed: 60. Fielding: 50. Arm: 55.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Ford stood out for his premium athleticism at East Coast Pro and solidified his place as the top high school catcher in the 2021 draft class with a strong senior spring. The Mariners considered him one of the top three high school players in the class after he dazzled general manager Jerry Dipoto and other club executives during a private, pre-draft batting practice, and Seattle selected him 12th overall and signed him for $4,366,400 to forgo a Georgia Tech commitment. Ford made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and hit .291 with 10 extra-base hits in 19 games, including three homers in his final five games.
  
  Scouting Report: Ford isn’t particularly big at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, but he packs plenty of bat speed and strength in his compact frame. He consistently squares balls up with his excellent hand-eye coordination and barrel awareness and drives the ball to all fields to project as an above-average hitter. He is a patient hitter who takes an opposite-field approach aimed at lining balls the other way, but he shows surprising plus raw power when he turns on balls. Ford is a plus runner, rare for a catcher, and has the athleticism to play multiple positions. His blocking and receiving need to improve, but his flexibility, strong hands and work ethic give him a chance to be an average defensive catcher in time. His above-average arm strength plays at any position.
  
  The Future: The Mariners will develop Ford as a catcher and believe he’ll stick there. Even if he doesn’t, his hitting ability and multi-positional versatility give him plenty of avenues to the majors.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  The Mariners used the 12th overall pick this year to select Ford, the ultra-rare catcher who is a plus runner. With a strong body giving him plenty of bat speed, he uses a strong line-drive swing with the power to put the ball out of the park, and all three of his home runs came in his last five ACL games. Ford sees the ball well and has a good idea of which pitches to take and which pitches to swing at. He still has work to do behind the plate to fine-tune his catching technique, but he has a strong arm and blocks well. While his speed and athleticism would allow Ford to play other positions, his intangibles will help him remain behind the plate. “As a catcher, you’re a leader. You’re the guy who the entire field can see,” Mariners manager Austin Knight said, “so him embracing how important that selfless mentality is has been good to see.”
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Ford separated himself as the top prep catcher in this year's draft class with his unique athleticism and solid hitting ability. The Mariners drafted him 12th overall, the highest a high school catcher has been taken since 2015, and signed him for $4,366,400. Ford is a plus runner who is good enough to stick behind the plate but also has the athleticism to play second base, third base or center field. He has plenty of bat speed and strength in his compact frame, with the likelihood of hitting for power over average. The track record of high school catchers is poor, but Ford has enough athleticism and hitting ability to play other positions and give him additional avenues to the majors.