BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic — There’s not a day that goes by at the Mariners’ academy where Noelvi Marte doesn’t think about his future; specifically, what it will feel like when he takes his career stateside.



The 17-year-old Dominican shortstop is playing on the Mariners’ Dominican Summer League team, and his motivation for leaving his home country is tied to his unwavering ambition to follow the path of his good friend Julio Rodriguez. Marte would love nothing more than to make the kind of momentous leap Rodriguez did in going from the DSL last summer all the way to the Mariners Low-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League this season.



“I see Julio as motivation,” Marte said. “I want to have the kind of success he’s had. I want to follow in his footsteps.”



Such a jump would qualify as a pipe dream for nearly all of the players here, as the players who perform well enough to leave the...