Prospect Zach DeLoach: Seattle Mariners Instructional League

The Seattle Mariners drafted Zach DeLoach this summer and he played well in the recent Instructional League

In the 2020 MLB Draft, Jerry Dipoto and the Seattle Mariners drafted another college player with a high pick. In the second round, Zach DeLoach a junior outfielder out of Texas A&M joined Seattle. DeLoach is a well-rounded player and has the potential to be a really good MLB hitter. Before joining the Mariners, DeLoach did not perform that well in his first two college seasons. But what caught the eyes of scouts was his Cape Cod League performances.

DeLoach is currently the no. 12 ranked Seattle prospect and was able to practice with the team at summer workouts prior to the start of the 2020 regular season. He was also recently in Arizona, playing in the Instructional League where he was able to participate in seven weeks of practice and games.

So how did the 22-year-old outfielder perform? (These numbers may be inaccurate, published stats were limited)

• 47 at-bats
• .277 batting average
• .469 OBP
• 17 bases on balls (led the team)
• 1 triple (tied first)
• 4 doubles

This is a great sign for the team because as fans know, the Mariners have had a history of swinging and missing on draft picks. Since Jerry Dipoto’s takeover, things have been going well with draftees. Although it is a small sample size, DeLoach is showing promise already without playing in an official minor league game. The Mariners are hoping that the pandemic will be gone by next summer so that the minor leagues will return.

Not having a minor league season in 2020 hurt the development of many young players so 2021 will be a crucial opportunity for DeLoach who has minimal professional baseball experience. His Instructional League stat line is likable and I am excited to see his name pop up in the future. DeLoach is already pretty high on the Seattle prospect rankings and I expect his name to go up soon enough.