Seattle Mariners MLB Mock Draft 4.0

It is time for what is becoming a weekly ritual in light of the absence of Mariners baseball. It is time for another Mock Draft!

The Seattle Mariners hold the number 6, 43, 64, 78, 107, and 137 picks in the first 5 rounds of the MLB Draft. Where the team currently sits in its rebuild, and the lost year of development, this draft will be absolutely crucial for Jerry Dipoto and Scott Hunter to nail down.

But we need to remember that the MLB Draft and NFL Draft are not the same or even all that similar. Remember, MLB teams aren’t draft for players to help them in 2020 or even 2021. And because of this, positions of need don’t really exist on draft day, at least not early, with the exception of pitching and catching, since every team needs it and there isn’t enough to go around.

So while the Mariners have a stacked outfield prospect group, they won’t pass on another outfielder if he is clearly the best on their board. Unless of course, the team want’s to save bonus pool money and “reach” for talent in order to pay more talent later in the draft, which is also a possibility.

On The Wheelhouse Podcast, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto stated that ideally, Seattle would be able to draft an up-the-middle offensive player with their first pick. But this doesn’t mean they will or even can. And if we are being honest, drafting players who play up the middle of the field is usually the best possible outcome anyway, because of their rarity.

But that’s enough yammering on. Let’s get to this mock draft and see what we can get done for the Mariners in the 2020 MLB Mock Draft 4.0!

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Round One: Mariners select Emerson Hancock, RHP Georgia

What once seemed like a pipe dream now might be one of the more likely scenarios. Emerson Hancock, who entered the 2020 season as a potential 1.1 (round 1 pick 1) and is still the highest-rated prospect on the Sodo Mojo Big Board, is trending down on draft boards and is now one of the most mocked players heading to the Mariners.

To describe this as a steal would be an understatement as Hancock gives the Mariners something they don’t currently have: a potential ace. Hancock would jump into the number three spot in my prospect ranks, just behind Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez.

Hancock has three plus pitches and a good curveball as a fourth offering. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with arm-side run as well as a slider he can manipulate to act as two different pitches and an advanced feel for a changeup. He didn’t throw the curveball much at Georgia, but when he did, the pitch flashed plus with good shape.

Hancock throws plenty of strikes and has the build of an ace, standing at 6’4″, 215 lbs. Hancock has the best stuff in the class, but an inconsistent spring and some concerns about health may knock him out of the top five and into the waiting arms of the Seattle Mariners. Hancock is leaps and bounds ahead of Reid Detmers, another popular player being linked to the Mariners.

If Hancock does fall to six and is, in fact, signable, GM Jerry Dipoto and Scouting Director Scott Hunter shouldn’t waste any time running to the telephone to make this pick. Seattle has a large group of pitchers who have mid-rotation arm written all over them and Hancock could be the guy to top the rotation in two years’ time.

Round Two(43): Masyn Winn, RHP/SS Kingwood (TX)

Very few prospects have the upside of Masyn Winn. The Texas prep player is a legitimate prospect both on the mound and in the field, pulling double duty as Kingwood’s ace and shortstop. He carries a higher upside from the mound where he sits 92-94 MPH and touched 98 in fall ball. He backs up the fastball with two off-speed pitches including a plus curveball and an average changeup that should serve as a quality third offering.

In the field, Winn profiles as an everyday shortstop. To back up his strong arm, Winn plays solid defense with soft hands and quick feet. He’ll have no issue handling short in the pros and he comes with an enticing offensive skill set. There is swing and miss in his game, but he has above-average raw power and speed, giving him the potential to be a 5 tool shortstop.

There is some effort in his windup and at 5’11”, 180lbs some scouts are concerned that he will move to the bullpen soon. But the possibility of using Winn as a shortstop early and then using him out of the bullpen is fascinating and with the trend of two-way players starting to become more common in MLB, Winn is a fantastic pick at 43… if you can get him there.

Comp Round B (64): Mariners select Jared Shuster, LHP Wake Forest

Shuster looked like a prototypical control and command lefty in the spring of 2019. But he made some adjustments in the Cape Cod League, earning an all-star nod in the prestigious summer league. He continued to make his adjustments and came out of the gate in 2020 looking like a completely different pitcher.

His fastball jumped from 88 MPH to sitting in the 92-94 range and he even touched 97 in a few outings. The added fastball velocity helped his changeup, which was already his best pitch, play up even more, and is now solidly in the plus range of grades. He throws a fringe-average breaking ball that could make or break his starting chances, but he throws all three offerings for strikes with a newer and more easily repeatable delivery.

Shuster is a solid prospect who won’t turn a lot of heads early

but could be in the big leagues by 2022, especially if he shows the velocity and uptick in stuff wasn’t the product of a small sample size.

Round Four (107): Mariners select Ryan Webb. LHP Georgia

Ryan Webb is yet another prototypical #4 starter who hasn’t actually been used as a starter at Georgia. The 6’1″, 195 lb lefty has an average fastball that sits in the low-90s and has touched 95 at times and a fringe-average changeup he doesn’t use much. The separator for Webb and why he has a chance to start in the big leagues are his two breaking balls.

The curveball sits in the high-70s with good depth and the slider flashes plus, which is especially impressive considering he just started throwing it in 2020. There are some concerns surrounding Webb, who may go undrafted as a result.

His control is best classified as fringe-average. His delivery is rigid and lacks fluidity, contributing to his control issues. He missed a large chunk of the 2019 season with a sore arm and prior to 2020, he had only been a modestly successful pitcher in the SEC.

There isn’t much upside to Webb, but the floor is that of a solid, multi-inning reliever, similar to former Mariners lefty Mike Montgomery. By selecting Webb in the early fourth round, Seattle might be able to squeeze some savings by going under-slot, which could be a part of the plan to sway Masyn Winn from his Arkansas commitment.

Round Five(137): Mariners select Braiden Ward, CF Washington

Most years, Braiden Ward would be a typical player selected in rounds 6-10. Obviously, this leaves him vulnerable to going undrafted this year, which would have him return to UW in hopes of being drafted as senior with no leverage. This could lead Ward to take a below-slot deal, once again giving Seattle a little more money to pursue Winn.

Braiden Ward isn’t a bad prospect. In fact, he is arguably the best base-runner in the class. He possesses 80-grade speed, that is he has elite speed. He backs up the speed with great instincts on the basepaths, which has allowed him to lead the PAC-12 in stolen bases three consecutive years. Ward also made the Cape Cod League All-Star team in 2019.

Ward uses his speed and good fundamentals to give plus defensive value in the outfield, though his fringe-average arm makes him a center field and left field option only. There isn’t much power in Ward’s game, though he did slug .446 in 2019, thanks in large part to his 11 doubles and five triples in 193 PAs.

Mariners fans should have a good point of reference when picturing Ward in the majors. His game is extremely similar to former Mariner Jarrod Dyson and current Mariners Mallex Smith. Ward has improved his plate discipline as well, shows good strike zone awareness, and understands his limitations well enough to not try to do too much.

Ward isn’t going to be a star, but he should hit for some average, take walks, and be a weapon off the bench late in games, just like his player comparison, Jarrod Dyson. At his worst, Ward is Terrance Gore. At his best, he’s an everyday centerfielder that post league average OBP and steals 40 bags.