Seattle Mariners Way Too Early 2020 MLB Mock Draft

The Mariners and GM Jerry Dipoto refuse to do anything this winter so instead of waiting for something that may never come, let’s just speculate wildly about something that is impossible to predict.

The Mariners rebuild is going quite well. And while it may be painful to watch at the big league level, everything below the surface is going well. Seattle’s player development system is working. They are drafting well. And their international scouting is a solid as they come.

Because these particular skills aren’t yet showing dividends, they are largely going unnoticed. But their importance cannot be overstated. The Mariners will need to draft players they can develop, and along with being aggressive in the upper-middle class of free agency, this will be the path towards breaking their long playoff drought.

In June, we will get to see one of the benefits of their difficult to watch 2019 season. The Mariners will be picking inside the Top 10 and even have an extra draft pick in their back pocket. As of right now, Seattle will pick 4 times inside the Top 100 and are actively shopping for an additional draft pick as you read this.

So with the importance of the draft and the lack of activity this winter, it leads me to wonder what Dipoto and Scott Hunter could do with their draft slots in June. So, in the dead of winter, why not doing something totally dumb and try and predict what the Mariners will do with their first 4 picks?

Remember, the Mariners hold picks 6, 44, 68, and 79. Or at least in that range. But those are the draft slots we will be working from. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

With Pick 44, the Mariners select Alika Williams, SS  ASU

With scouts heavily watching his teammate Spencer Torkelson, Alika Williams has turned a lot of heads. With a good spring, he could vault himself into the Top 20 of the first round, so he may very well end up a steal in the second.

Williams is a player who does everything well without having a single standout tool. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a solid tool bet from which to work. His bat to ball skills are above-average and he can make all the plays at shortstop.

Williams is the epitome of a “control the zone” bat, which has led him to walk more than he has struck out in his 2-years at Arizona State University. The biggest gap in Williams’ game is with the power tool. His swing isn’t built for much home run power as it currently stands, putting more pressure on his hit tool to be an everyday player.

Williams’s glove and instincts will likely push him to the big leagues where he should be at least a solid utility option. But he will need to show some growth with the power to be more than an average starting shortstop. Perhaps he can add good weight to his 6’2″, 175 lbs frame without losing batting speed.

If he repeats his 2019 of .333/.429/.474 slash line, he should lock himself into the Top 70 picks or so. Even if the power never comes, league average shortstops are hard to come by. A sensible comp for Williams appears to be Kevin Kramer of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Seattle tends to shoot for upside with their second picks, so a prep player cannot be ruled out. And with the extra draft pick, manipulation of their bonus pool money is definitely an option. But if Williams is on the board, he is a good player at a premier position and his profile would likely drop him inside the Top 10 of our summer prospect ranks.

With Pick 68(ish) the Mariners select Tommy Mace, RHP Florida

Tommy Mace is a project, no question about it. But the 6’7″ RHP has steadily improved his stuff at the University of Florida and is ready for a breakout season in Gainesville. Recent reports from fall ball show Mace has vastly improved his two-seam fastball, which is up to 96 MPH with run, a vast improvement from 6 months ago.

Mace’s best offering may be a high-80s cutter that can help neutralize lefties while generating weak contact along the way. Whether or not Mace becomes successful in pro ball will depend on two things: the development of another pitch and improvement in his command.

The curveball may be his best bet at acquiring the 3rd offering, as it is currently an upper-70s, slurvy type of breaking ball, that shows good shape and promise down the line. The changeup lags behind the curveball and has a long way to go, but has flashed average on occasion.

This spring will be a big one for Mace. He will need to carry his improved velocity into the spring and also show some growth in the curveball to be a gamble worth taking here. Scouts like his bulldog mentality and presence on the mound. This spring he just needs to put it all together.

Florida has been a breeding ground for highly selected college arms, and with a big payday ahead of him, Tommy Mace could join that group. He won’t be a fast riser in the Mariners system, but the payout could be oh so sweet. If selected, he would likely find himself somewhere between 15-25 in our summer prospect ranks.

With Pick 79(ish), the Mariners select RHP Kyle Hurt, USC

For the last pick of our mock draft, we have the Mariners staying on the west coast and snagging another college arm. Kyle Hurt, who was a heavily scouted prep arm back in 2017, decided to hold off on starting his pro career to pitch at USC.

Things haven’t gone great for Hurt at Southern California, but his promising stuff and pedigree make him an intriguing option for teams. The 6’3″ righty has a fastball that sits 93 but has been reported to be up to 97 MPH at times.

Hurt backs up the promising heater with a good changeup that he throws with good arm speed and can have a tumbling effect when he is on. The slider should be a third average or better offering down the line. The curveball needs work, but it does occasionally settle in as an average offering.

Hurt has struggled to throw strikes and often struggles to get through a lineup more than 1.5 times before he begins to tire out. Hurt will need to show improved athleticism and endurance to have a chance to be drafted as a starting pitcher. A reliever tag could drop his stock significantly, so Hurt has plenty of motivation this spring.

Hurt pitched well towards the end of his sophomore season, wrestling away the Friday Night Starter role (the college phrasing for a staff ace) at USC. Like Mace, Hurt is more of a project than a fast riser, but the reward of a solid #4 starter is worth a risk.

So there we have it. An MLB Mock Draft in late December. Now, if you guys wouldn’t mind, perhaps Jerry can make a deal or at least whisper sweet somethings into a reporter’s ear so I don’t have to do this again for a few months.