A Last Minute Draft Preview

Future Mariners arrive today!

Happy draft day! In celebration of today’s big event, we at Lookout Landing put together a quick rundown of a multitude of players the Mariners just might select over the coming days. Watching a draft when you recognize some names is always more fun, and this primer aims to set you up for a great day one and beyond. Enjoy!

First Round

Trey Yesavage - Big, physical starter that displays solid velocity and wicked stuff. Shows excellent ability to command the zone and rack up strikeouts. Throws four pitches that all grade out very well, with his splitter being a major weapon for him this season. He’ll need to fall a bit to get to the Mariners, but he’s arguably the ideal outcome.

Jurrangelo Cijntje - One of the likelier first round options in my personal opinion. Undersized, but premiere athlete that was made famous due to his switch pitching ability. The fastball can hit upper 90’s from the right side and the slider is an out pitch for him. I’d imagine he’d improve with added refinement using only one hand (he will not be a full time switch pitcher as a professional and will likely scrap his left hand altogether). He’s death on righties and I’d imagine his stuff would tick up a bit with professional instruction. More than likely an underslot deal.

James Tibbs - One of the most advanced hitters in the draft. He’s a lefty corner outfielder that saw his stock rise immensely this season. He’s a data darling that makes excellent swing decisions and impacts the baseball exceptionally hard. Not an elite athlete and will end up in a corner, but the bat is real. He’ll need to fall to fifteen similarly to Yesavage.

Ryan Sloan - A large lad. Power fastball in the low to mid 90’s and can touch higher. I really like the biting slider that gets good sweep. I haven’t personally seen the changeup, but reports are somewhat mixed as to whether or not it surpasses the slider in quality. Repeatability is there. Would be a likely selection should they choose to go the high school route.

Vance Honeycutt - Premium athlete that has tons of tools. I have significant worries about the contact ability and K rates, but the other four tools are premium and something you could not typically get at pick fifteen. He would be very atypical for a Mariner pick, but a surefire centerfielder with power definitely has its upsides.

Second Round

Griffin Burkholder - Highly physical highschooler that still has some room to add a bit of strength. Stupid fast, an above average center fielder, and a clean swing with fast hands. Doesn’t have as long of a track record against premium competition as other high schoolers, but the tools are absolutely there.

Ben Hess - Big strikeout guy out of Alabama. Fastball has a lot of life and rides through the zone. Employs a sweeper as his primary out pitch that misses a ton of bats. Can struggle to command the zone and struggled with walks, but you’re betting on a 6’5 255lb frame that throws gas in the SEC.

Aiden May - A PAC-2 legend, the Oregon State Beaver has a devilish sweeper that led him to dominate his competition. He has a good frame with room to add velocity and should be able to start as a professional. His pitching operation is smooth and on time. Exhibits good control and commands his pitches well. He’s not a tremendously high upside guy, but he’s incredibly sound and would be a nice get.

Luke Holman - A lanky right hander out of LSU, I would be floored if Holman doesn’t add velocity as a professional. He’s currently in the 93 range with his heater, but his 6’4 frame and long levers should enable him to carry a starters workload. Dominated in the SEC, displaying both control and command of his arsenal. Would be a college arm that actually has some solid upside with additional development in the Mariner system.

Chris Levonas - Incredibly smooth mover from the right side that is already hitting 97 on the mound out of high school. Features a high spin breaker that already surpasses 3000 rpm. Has shown an advanced ability to spin the ball and shows solid command of his arsenal. As a Wake Forest commit, he could be a bit pricey to buy away from college, but his high upside as a starter might just gives teams enough reason to pay him what he’s worth.

Chris Cortez - One of Max Weiner’s former disciples at Texas A&M, Cortez features two of the best pitches in the class. His sinker-slider combination yields a ton of ground balls and gets whiffs at a gaudy rate. The hope would be that he could develop a third pitch and start as he’s shown an ability to throw strikes before (though he’s still pretty wild at the moment), but his floor is a leverage reliever that could realistically help you next year, perhaps sooner.

Cole Mathis - A first base prospect with excellent batted ball metrics, Mathis is a solid athlete that clobbers the ball from the right side of the plate. Dominated on the Cape last summer and will be one of the most polished hitters left on the board after the first round. There’s limited positional upside as a righty first baseman, but you’re getting a really nice bat.

Third Round

Duncan Marsten - A highschool guy that’s already had TJ surgery, Marsten has big stuff as a right hander. A large, physical frame will give him a chance to start. He’s shown an ability to spin his breaking balls and features a changeup that flashes as an above average or better pitch. With his velocity and innate ability to spin, the clay is very intriguing. That said, TJ surgery as a sophomore in high school will likely be a huge concern for clubs.

Trey Gregory-Alford - Another large right hander, the Colorado native has hit 101.4 on his fastball and features a slider that has flashed positively. He’s incredibly raw and will need a lot of refining, but 6’5 teenagers that throws as hard as Gregory-Alford does do not grow on trees.

Conrad Cason - A two way high schooler, Cason is likely an arm at the next level but displays excellent athleticism regardless of his position. His fluid actions on the mound suggest he could start and his fastball draws rave reviews from scouts. He’s flashed four pitches and has touched the upper 90’s to date. He was one of the standouts at the MLB Draft combine and could hear his name called in the top 100 selections.

Josh Hartle - A lanky lefty out of Wake Forest, Hartle was in pre-season discussions as a potential first rounder, however a down year quelled that line of thinking. Having dominated on the Cape as a rising sophomore, Hartle was one of the better starters on a loaded Wake Forest team in 2023. This year yielded poor results, but his pitchability paired with room for added physicality makes him an interesting option with a high floor.

Kavares Tears - A bulky outfielder with surprising footspeed, Tears has filled in at center periodically for the Vols this season but will most likely end up in right. Tears produces tremendous exit velocities and has improved his overall contact ability this season. He profiles as a left handed thumper that can play average or better defense in right. In all honesty, I’d wager he’ll be gone by the end of day one.

Khal Stephen - Mississippi State’s de facto ace this season, Stephen has a prototypical starters frame and features a fastball that sits in the mid 90s. A good mover down the mound, Stephen broke out in a big way this season and has a big up arrow next to his name.

Additional Names to Know

Will Turner - A highly athletic outfielder that shows good bat speed. Played well on the Cape last summer before returning to South Alabama. Will stick as a centerfielder and shows a solid approach at the plate. One of my favorite guys to watch for on day two.

Marcus Morgan - Big time stuff, zero command. He’s physical enough to be a starter, but needs to learn to control his potentially devastating arsenal. Gets down the mound very well and pairs a fastball that can flirt with 100 with a nasty sweeper. Intriguing, but unrefined.

Nate Dohm - Tall right hander who has battled some nagging injuries across his career. His stuff is loud and he’s displayed excellent command and control of his arsenal. He’s hit the upper 90’s, but will typically be around 94-95 with a slider that’s missed bats thus far. Would be a very “Mariner-esque” pick.

Cade Obermueller - Smaller lefty out of Iowa that can spin the crap out of a baseball. Performed very well on the Cape and gets good ride on his fastball out of a lower slot. Needs to throw strikes more often, but you don’t have to squint all that much to see a productive left handed arm.

Chase Allsup - Physical righty that rarely walks hitters and features very loud stuff. Can get hit around a bit and will need to develop a third offering, but the mold of a potential starter is absolutely there. I’d imagine elevated instruction and training will help improve Allsup’s consistency on the mound.

Greysen Carter - Massive dude with a massive fastball. Carter has hit 103 on the radar gun, but has little to no command and doesn’t miss a ton of bats. He’s fun because he throws hard, but he’s realistically a later round guy.

Jaxon Jelkin - Tall, wiry right hander that has some filthy breakers. His slurvey breaking ball generates a lot of swing and miss and his cutter acts as a great bridge pitch to his mid-90s fastball. At 6’5 and just 190 pounds, Jelkin has considerable room to add muscle and should be able to be pushing the upper 90s with his fastball. Jelkin has been soaring up draft boards and may find his way into the top 100 picks, but I think I prefer him a bit later than that due to his relief risk and relative inconsistency. He’d be a fascinating selection for a Seattle system that has maximized profiles similar to his.

Austin Overn - One of the better performers on the Cape in the 2024 season, Overn provides an intriguing package of tools with premium athleticism in centerfield. He’s been up and down throughout his college career, but his recent success leaves people encouraged for his future abilities as a pro.

Sam Antonacci - Big OBP guy. Doesn’t produce big power, but that isn’t his game. He’ll probably bounce all around the infield and fill in at the corner outfield spots in a super-utility role. He could be a nice, flexible bench piece, especially if there’s any bit of power left to be extracted.

Emilien Pitre - A bulky, muscled up second baseman that impacts the ball from the left side. Commands the zone incredibly well and takes his walks. He’s got a surprisingly good glove and should be able to steal some bases as well. He’ll go early on day two.

That wraps up our pre-draft content! Enjoy the draft and GOMS!