2018 MLB Draft Primer: What Mariners Fans Need to Know About the MLB Draft

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SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 11: Seattle Mariners 2016 first round draft pick Kyle Lewis walks past scouts during batting practice before a game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on June 11, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. The Rangers won the game 2-1 in eleven innings. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

The MLB draft is easily the least watched of the 4 major sports. Why is that? There are 2 chief reasons why.

First, nobody knows who these guys are. Unlike the NBA and NFL, baseball fans do not know the potential draft picks. NCAA Football and Basketball are huge, and fans of the sport are often quite familiar with both levels of play.

However, NCAA Baseball is not regularly on television. It requires work to find, and unless you have a conference network TV package, you can’t find the games. In addition, unlike the other 2 sports, high school athletes are eligible for the draft. These players are largely unseen by anybody but scouts and the most die-hard of draft junkies.

Second, the player selected are not seen right away by most fans. In fact, if the Mariners select a high school player, you likely won’t see him in a Mariners uniform for 3-5 years, if he ever makes it that far to begin with.

Even college players can take 2-4 years to reach the big league club, if teams are lucky. There is a pretty good chance your team will never see their first round pick at the big league level.

It is difficult for your average fan to see that far into the future, as they are invested in their local team now. And while this approach is understandable, the draft is still incredibly important to your team, and shouldn’t be ignored.

The players selected in this draft are your future MLB starters. Or perhaps they help you acquire talent to add-on the major league roster. In a league that is placing more and more value on young, cheap, and controllable, restocking your supplies are always great.

Next: Sodo Mojo Mariners Round Table #3: Week 1 in the Books

For a team like the Mariners, they need to hit it out of the park. Strong drafts are the quickest way to build a strong Major League team. Whether it is through player development, or player acquisition, the draft is where championships of tomorrow are built. So pay attention, you just might learn something.

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2018 MLB Draft Primer: What Mariners Fans Need to Know About the MLB Draft

By Colby Patnode | Apr 9, 2018

Why Does Nobody Care?

It is difficult for your average fan to see that far into the future, as they are invested in their local team now. And while this approach is understandable, the draft is still incredibly important to your team, and shouldn’t be ignored.