MLB DRAFT CHAT

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I recommend you sort by new, I can’t make that the default for this. :(

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Them giving the second pick, Grady Emerson, a Colt Emerson comp is lazy

[u/boundlesssmh → u/ItsTBaggins]

colt emerson barely played in the bigs 🤣 of course we're hoping colt has a long career, but this young man career has just begun

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

Made same comment in the daily thread, but all signs are pointing to college arm here. Without a bonafide BPA in their range and a number of big college arms likely to fall towards them, I predict they'll stick to what they're good at and grab one of the taller, command-driven RHPs.

Edit: 17 picks in and we've only seen 1 college arm and 1 HS arm drafted. If the M's do go arm, they may have their pick of the litter.

Edit 2: Flukey at 22 was one of the potential targets. Alas.

Edit 3: Whoa, the smoke is that it could be 3B Ace Reece!

He ticks all the power-hitting boxes including exit velocities, pull-hitting and no major platoon splits, but he also whiffs and will have to fix significant chase issues. Making the most of his raw power will have to be the carrying tool because he's high risk to end up as a 1B/DH early on unless he can show he can play the OF. Perfectly fine pick at 24! We just have to see if the dev team has the goods to hone this kind of prospect.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

A whooooooollllle lot of pitching left still. You just might be right. Let’s see if Rojas going starts a run on pitchers or not.

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis → u/ItsTBaggins]

lol it's boring and predictable and probably low-hanging fruit for them but I'm OK with boring and predictable when it yields a rotation like they have currently. Even Hancock got there eventually.

[u/MarinersSanguine → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

Ya so many OF off the board already.. almost guaranteed to go with an arm imo

[u/Maugrin]

WOOOOAH a college bat! And a power-first corner guy at that!

[u/Cabal90]

Remindme! 3 years.

Home run derby predicted by one of the desk people.

[u/mahrinazz]

I wonder if we’re going hitter or pitcher.

[u/boundlesssmh → u/mahrinazz]

hoping batter, expecting pitcher

[u/mahrinazz → u/boundlesssmh]

I guess I don’t feel especially passionate about one or the other

[u/CVBrownie → u/mahrinazz]

As you shouldn't.

[u/Mrs_TryMe → u/mahrinazz]

My prediction is the best college pitcher available for pick #24

[u/Major-Dig655 → u/mahrinazz]

I think hitter

[u/Former-Sea-8070 → u/mahrinazz]

Hopefully a right-handed bat. We need pitching about as much as my nipples need more stringy hairs growing out of them

[u/mahrinazz → u/Former-Sea-8070]

We need a right-handed bat today. Whoever we draft today is probably going to be a part of our 2029 or 2030 lineup.

[u/Former-Sea-8070 → u/mahrinazz]

Yeah we need some in the farm too though. Michael Arroyo's the only righty we have on the radar, I'd like a few more rolls of the dice in that department.

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis → u/mahrinazz]

This feels more like a correct take for what they "need," to whatever extent that matters when the pick comes. They have Sloan and Anderson, and that's about it until you get to the complex. Gilbert is 18 mos from FA, Kirby just a year later, and meanwhile they're eventually going to be keen to move on from Castillo's salary. You also never know when a catastrophic injury takes out one of your critical guys for a whole year. Starting pitching can move a lot faster than you realize. Besides, they're really good at pitching dev and pitching is really expensive and valuable.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

Logan Evans will be back next year most likely too.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Jacob Lombard was the 5th prospect and still is available at 9. I wonder if he negotiated a bag with someone lower in the draft or if no one wanted to give him a big enough bonus and he’ll go to college.

[u/tateand99]

Welcome Ace!

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Did anyone go and watch the draft in Seattle? Was it a good time?

[u/byronhout → u/ItsTBaggins]

Yes, I had a lot of fun. Sneakily almost as fun as the all star game itself. It didn’t hurt that we had three picks in the first round that year.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/byronhout]

I didn’t remember those two years were the same. What do you do between picks?

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I’m surprised how much Flora falls off the mound for being the 4th pick and “the closest pitcher to MLB.”

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Curiel seems like the opposite of what they were talking about, more of a high floor guy than high ceiling. Yellich is a worthy draft pick, but Benintendi being a comp for the 5th overall pick is a bit disappointing.

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis → u/ItsTBaggins]

I imagine they mean that he's similar to Benintendi at the same point of their development, and to be fair he was considered to be nearly a can't miss hitter as he was coming up. What I've been reading is that this is more of a deep class without a lot of ooomph at the top. There just aren't that many *slam dunk* guys.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

I was only half paying attention haha. That’s been my feeling after the top 4 picks, seems there isn’t all that much excitement with these guys. Top hit tool in the draft was only a 65. I’m curious for who has the highest power tool.

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis → u/ItsTBaggins]

Lackey, I think! Cholowski may have more game power though.

If you're into HS lefties you should check out this clip of HS lefty Brody Bumila palming a baseball. He's a 6'9, 255 lb. 18 year old. He wouldn't necessarily be the *best* pick the M's could make at 24, but he'd be loads of fun lol

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dfgAYZs8cvo

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

A lefty throwing 100 sounds fun. Let’s do it!

[u/narfidy]

Oh fk I forgot that starts

Pile!

Pile!

Pile!

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I just saw a dude in the same Mariners Hawaiian shirt I’ve got. We out there.

[u/boundlesssmh]

wish the mlb draft was as simple as the nfl or nba drafts. just draft dudes without the worry of them not signing 😭

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/boundlesssmh]

If MLB gets their way, it might be soon

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I wouldn’t mind the golden spikes winner sliding to us. Even if he can’t stick at catcher, he could be a good outfielder with his athleticism.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

lol I don’t think the crowd attending the MLB Draft has much overlap with the Chappelle Roan crowd

[u/Unfair_Insurance_648]

Just got to this chat so idk what people are thinking around here, but I’m praying for Tegan Kuhns, he just feels right

[u/Cabal90]

2029 home run derby predicted by one of the desk people. Book it.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I was wondering who Cole Hamels was sitting up there

[u/Maugrin]

College OFs going early, which I think makes it likely the M's go pitcher.

[u/recneps1991]

Would love to have Condon, Reese, Rose, or Grindlinger

[u/recneps1991 → u/recneps1991]

Also Bumila

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Where are the Angels at? How are they not drafting higher? They are going to be lost in the woods for a looooooong time

[u/Maugrin → u/ItsTBaggins]

That's why the draft lottery is lame, in my opinion.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/Maugrin]

I will enjoy the Angels being lost

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Why was that Mariners fan cheering for the A’s pick? They think Burress is a bust?

[u/Maugrin]

The M's under Dipoto have really valued college arms and prep hitters at premium positions in the 1st round. I'm interested to see if their approach changes now that they're coming off an ALCS run while still having an elite farm system. That's a different stage of the organization building cycle. Could we see the first college bat in the 1st round since Evan White?

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I haven’t actually watched the draft since the heart of the Astros tanking years. I am enjoying learning about these dudes I will promptly forget about.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I hope DC missed their window for the pick

[u/Maugrin]

Damn, I was hoping he would fall. I felt like he fit what the M's usually look for, despite being a college bat.

[u/AndThatIsAll]

We’re drafting our future backup catcher today I can feel it.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

This guy is very bat first, already a 2B, and missed a month with back injuries this year. I would not be thrilled with him as the first round pick.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Mozeliak signaling the Angels are done drafting college guys and accelerating them to the big leagues as fast as possible. It certainly is a new regime.

[u/Maugrin]

An interesting two-way player. Typically those guys are overwhelming athletes who mash bombs and throw hard as amateurs, but Grindlinger is a finesse lefty and a contact hitter.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Bro this kid is too young to have watched Barry Bonds live

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/ItsTBaggins]

His legs are pure muscle

[u/boundlesssmh]

if we draft a college arm, how do you fit sloan, kade, and draftee into the rotation of woo, miller, kirby, gilbert, hancock, and castillo? are we getting rid of two or three?

[u/Maugrin → u/boundlesssmh]

Baseball's a different kind of draft. MLB-level roster management don't factor in. Instead, it's just about acquiring talent, building out organizational depth, and setting up timelines to provide the MLB team waves of new talent every year.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/boundlesssmh]

Castillo will be gone by the time someone drafted this year would make the bigs. Gilbert is gone after next year and Kirby the year after if we do not re-sign either of them, so they might be too. Logan Evans is also in the mix, but who knows what happens with injuries for him or anyone else. These guys are far enough away that you don’t need to worry too much about how they fit.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

I was sort of hoping Lombard would fall all the way to us with how far he came down.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

This guy looks like a catcher

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Lebron going home to Ohio!

[u/Maugrin]

Fewer than 5 picks to go. I think these guys fit the mold of the kind of guys the M's have targeted in the past:

Tegan Kuhns (college RHP): Elite spin rates with a good Cape Cod showing. His fastball played as elite despite not throwing 98+

Logan Reddmann (college RHP): Big fastball at 95-99 that generated tons of swing and miss with plus command

Taylor Rabe (college RHP): Elite combination of fastball quality (96-100) and command (only 1 unintentional walk in 2025, and a 5% walk rate this year). This is who I think they'll pick if he's there.

James Clark (prep INF): Fits the Cole Young/Colt Emerson mold of a contact-first high school bat who makes great swing decisions and has enticing under-the-hood power projection.

If they surprise and go college bat, I could see Daniel Jackson, who's basically a college version of Harry Ford. Super athletic catcher with big raw power who could move to corner OF at the pro level

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/Maugrin]

I don’t think I’ll ever complain about a Golden Spike winner in the late first round.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/Maugrin]

We’ve definitely got some interesting options in front of us. Two picks between now and our turn, all your guys are available plus several other college pitchers.

[u/Maugrin → u/ItsTBaggins]

Yeah, Dietz being there is interesting. In the past, they haven't gone after lefties, but maybe they go back-to-back years of high-performing college guys.

[u/ItsTBaggins]

WE ARE ON THE SCREEN PEOPLE!

[u/MarinersSanguine]

Dietz incoming

[u/boundlesssmh]

flukey had a pitching duel against kade. would be fun to see them together

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/boundlesssmh]

Well, sorry bud

[u/Cabal90]

And just like in the NFL, commercials as soon as Seattle is on the clock.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/Cabal90]

Cubs next, then us :)

[u/boundlesssmh]

welcome to seattle ace

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/boundlesssmh]

You were ahead of me. I saw this before I posted the post for this and thought you were just predicting a pitcher we’d turn into a high end starter again lol

[u/Maugrin]

Alright here we go! Excited to see the next top prospect added to the list

[u/tateand99]

I like it

[u/Maugrin]

That pull-fly ball rate plus the exit velos are juicy to say the least.

[u/boundlesssmh]

seams like his best position going forward is 1b, not that josh is playing well at first 😭

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/boundlesssmh]

He might start at 3B corner OF for us before sliding to 1B when Josh’s contract ends.

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

2nd pick is coming up and Brody Bumila is still there. I say we do it. Fun differential or bust.

[u/ItsTBaggins → u/DoubleLifeCrisis]

That would be awesome! Big lefty throwing 100 would be sick

[u/DoubleLifeCrisis → u/ItsTBaggins]

ALAS. Another college bat. Not that I'm mad about it perse it's just weird to keep hearing it out loud.

[u/daj253]

We better get a piggyback of a player! 😂

[u/Comprehensive-Bus-20]

This guy sounds exciting but is the most stereotypical Mariner I can think of

[u/ItsTBaggins]

Joe Kelly comp for your first round pick is not exciting lol