Mariners Analysis: Who Do The Experts Have the M’s Drafting Tonight?

Jerry Dipoto will make his first section as General Manager of the Mariners on Thursday night.

The Philadelphia Phillies will make the first pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday night at 4 pm PT. The first 77 selections will be made live this evening on MLB Network. The Seattle Mariners will make a pair of picks tonight, the first one coming at #11 and the final selection of the night will be at #50.

Speculation is rampant today leading up to tonight’s draft. Rumors are swirling, and mock drafts live on the front page of nearly every major sports site. Here at SoDo Mojo we have compiled who 10 of the leading draft experts have the Mariners picking at #11 tonight.

Mocks are important in the NFL Draft and NBA Draft, but they are an even more useful tool in the MLB Draft. Unlike in the NFL or NBA, the vast majority of tonight’s picks will be complete unknowns to the average (or even above-average) fan. We have not seen them star on Saturday afternoons in the SEC, or dominate for Duke in March Madness. The players selected tonight will be athletes who have received very little in the way of national attention.

Every journalist has their own opinion on how tonight’s draft will unfold, but there are a few trends emerging about who the Mariners will select. It appears many of the experts believe the M’s will either pick RHP Justin Dunn from Boston College or C Zack Collins from the University of Miami.

Previously drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 37th round of the 2013 draft, Justin Dunn is currently ranked by Baseball America as the 22nd best prospect in this year’s draft. Dunn has spent the bulk of his college career working out of the Eagles’ bullpen, but he transitioned to the starting rotation midway through this season. The Freeport, NY product went 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA across 17 appearances (7 starts) in 2016. Dunn is an athletic hurler who can hit 95 mph on the gun with relative ease. Here is a Q&A Dunn did with Chris Cotillo over at MLB Daily Dish.

Zack Collins is a 21-year-old backstop who hits from the left side of the plate. Previously selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 27th round in 2013, this Hurricane is considered one of the most advanced college bats in this year’s draft. Collins slashed .358/.534/.631 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI across 57 games in 2016. He posted impressive offensive numbers in all three of his seasons in Miami. Here is a Q&A Zack did with Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.

Now let’s turn our attention to what the professional pundits have to say about what the Mariners will do tonight in the first round. We will begin by looking at who Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has Seattle taking.

Next: Mayo likes Collins