10 Rule 5 Draft players that could help the Seattle Mariners in 2021

The Seattle Mariners have one spot open on the 40-man roster with the Rule 5 Draft nearing. Here are 10 prospects that could help the Mariners in 2021.

The MLB Rule 5 Draft is on December 10th during the Winter Meetings and the Seattle Mariners will not be too busy during the MLB Rule 5 draft portion because they only have room to bring in one more player onto the 40-man. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto added four top prospects to the roster to protect them from being drafted in the MLB Rule 5.

Joe Rizzo was the only top 30 Seattle Mariners prospect that is Rule 5 eligible and was not added to the 40-man, thus making him draft eligible. But, there still is a chance the Mariners no. 21 prospect remains with the team if no other teams take a flier on Joe Rizzo, who has not played above Single-A yet. Rizzo could have been the 40th player on the 40-man roster, but Dipoto decided to keep an open spot, probably to select a player in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 Draft is not always the most important, but there have been some exceptional Rule 5 Draftees in the past. Take, for example, Yohan Ramirez the 25-year-old flamethrower out of the Mariners bullpen. He was the fifth overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft in 2019 and he has turned out to be a great relief pitcher for the future.

Some other players who were former Rule 5 Draft prospects include Roberto Clemente, Johan Santana, Josh Hamilton, Joakim Soria, and the list goes on. For teams to participate in the MLB Rule 5 Draft, teams must have room in the 40-man roster because a Rule 5 Draftee will have to be on the 26-man roster in 2021, which means they would also be on the 40-man.

As I mentioned before, the Seattle Mariners have 39 spots on the 40-man after leaving Rizzo unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft. Because Rule 5 Draftees are required to be on the 26-man roster in 2021, the Seattle Mariners will need to select someone that can play at the big league level. The Mariners are not in a situation to pick up the highest prospect with limited experience, the team will be selecting someone with enough experience to benefit the team immediately.

The Mariners have depth across the board and the only position I imagine Jerry Dipoto bolstering through the MLB Rule 5 Draft is the bullpen. Just like in 2019 when the team drafted Yohan Ramirez, I imagine it will be a similar situation in a couple of weeks if Dipoto decides to draft a player. The last thing to note is that a lot of MLB teams do not leave space open on their 40-man roster before the Rule 5 Draft, so a limited amount of drafting teams allow for better chances of getting a prospect a team desires.

In 2019, only 10 MLB teams drafted in the first round of the MLB Rule 5 Draft. In the second round, only one team drafted a player. So, only 11 prospects were drafted at the MLB level. The Rule 5 Draft order is in reverse order of the standings, so the Mariners will have a decent pick in the Rule 5 which will be a great opportunity to find another pitcher like Ramirez.

There is an abundance of MLB-ready Rule 5 Draft prospects but many of them are starting pitchers. A lot of these prospects are young and I am hoping they can transition well into the bullpen because there is no room for them to be in the starting rotation. Sometimes moving into the bullpen can transform a pitcher just like the Wade Davis and Daniel Bard story. Let’s meet my favorite Rule 5 Draft prospects for the Seattle Mariners.

No. 1: Thomas Burrows from the Atlanta Braves, 24th prospect

Thomas Burrows, shown above, might be the most ideal Rule 5 player out of all the available prospects because he happens to be a relief pitcher and the Mariners drafted him out of college. The Seattle Mariners drafted him in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB draft, but he was sent to Atlanta as part of the first Mallex Smith trade. Burrows is a left-handed pitcher who has a low-90s fastball from a low three-quarters slot, and a great slider to go with it.

He holds the lead for most career saves at the University of Alabama and was able to reach Triple-A in 2019. Burrows is 26-years-old and has spent four seasons in the minor leagues (not including 2020), with a career ERA of 2.96. On top of that solid ERA, Burrows has saved 27 games, struck out 278 batters in 216 innings, and kept his WHIP at a reasonable 1.21.

Burrow’s delivery makes it tough to pick up the ball and is extremely effective against left-handed hitters. Besides his outstanding minor league numbers, he is almost the perfect fit at the perfect time for the Mariners who are in need of bolstering the bullpen. He is currently the 24th ranked prospect in the Atlanta Braves farm system and I assume he will be a prized prospect by other teams as well.

Some of the available draft prospects have not pitched above Single-A yet, so Burrows is perfect for the Mariners who need someone they can trust beginning in 2021. He could go nicely alongside some of the Seattle Mariners left-handed arms in the pen. Thomas Burrows would be the perfect cinderella story, making his MLB debut with the team that drafted him in 2016.

No. 2: Joel Kuhnel from the Cincinnati Reds, 22nd prospect

Joel Kuhnel of the Cincinnati Reds was another player who was drafted in 2016. Kuhnel was the 11th round pick by the Reds and is another player like Burrows who has only thrown out of the bullpen in the Rule 5 Draft pool. The 6’4″ right-hander has accumulated a lot of experience since joining the Reds and is now 25-years-old. He is also currently the 22nd prospect in the Reds organization.

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He is experienced, but still, young which is exactly what the Mariners bullpen is looking for. Kuhnel has played in every level of baseball including the big leagues. He made 11 appearances in 2019, and three appearances in 2020 with the Reds. Kuhnel has not pitched well in the MLB, but he has shown promise in his minor league career.

Joel Kuhnel has a 4.97 big league ERA, but a 3.28 minor league ERA. Although his small sample size in the MLB is not all that impressive, his measurables should be exciting for most MLB teams. He weighs in at 280 lbs which helps him throw a high 90s fastball with the capability of reaching triple digits. Kuhnel is trying to improve his low 90s slider and a work in progress changeup.

But with high velocity, control is always the concern for relief pitchers. In the minor leagues, he got better at limiting bases on balls as he went up the levels. When he reached the MLB in 2019, he walked five batters in 9.2 innings. Even then, his MLB career WHIP is 1.34, and his minor league career WHIP is 1.23. So his numbers are not as bad as it seems, and the hope is that his control only improves from here.

Both Burrows and Kuhnel would be perfect Rule 5 Draft players for the Seattle Mariners bullpen. They are both low-end prospects who have so much potential to help the Mariners in 2021 and the future. These are the top two prospects for the Mariners to go after on December 10th. In the event Dipoto cannot draft one of these players, there are a few more exciting prospects to discuss.

No. 3: Roel Ramirez from the St. Louis Cardinals, 27th prospect

Roel Ramirez has been in the minor league system for quite some time after being drafted in 2013 by the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth round. Ramirez has pitched both as a starter and a reliever, but he officially transitioned into a relief pitcher in 2017. The 27th Cardinals prospect has a minor league ERA of 4.03, pitched 462.1 innings, a 1.29 WHIP, and struck out 382 batters.

Ramirez also made his major league debut in 2020, but he had a very rough outing. He gave up six runs and was only able to record two outs. Although his numbers are not the greatest in the minors and majors, he does have good stuff. Roel has a mid 90s fastball with a natural cut and mixes in a slider and splitter. His secondary pitches have improved a lot in 2019 and he has shown a better feel for controlling his breaking pitch.

Ramirez is 25-years-old and has a 6’0″ frame weighing in at 235lbs. I think Ramirez’s measurables will fit really well into the MLB and you cannot teach a cutting fastball very easily. The Mariners are trying to build a bullpen to give different looks for the opposing hitters, and having a hard-throwing cutter specialist in the pen would be outstanding.

I am not saying that Ramirez will be the next Mariano Rivera or Kenley Jansen, but natural movement on a fastball is a plus and something that cannot be ignored. Ramirez will be looking to redeem himself in 2021 after a terrible MLB debut, and the Seattle Mariners should give him a chance if Burrows or Kuhnel is not available.

No. 4: Parker Dunshee from the Oakland Athletics, 27th prospect

Unlike the past three, Parker Dunshee, shown at the top of the page, has mostly been used as a starting pitcher but his stats are incredible. The 2017 seventh-round pick by the Athletics is currently the 27th prospect in the Oakland farm system. Dunshee has been very successful at each minor league level except Triple-A when he started 19 games in 2019.

In 2019 with the Athletics Triple-A team, he posted a 5.38 ERA. But during his time with other teams, Dunshee has been hovering around the 2.00 ERA area. His minor league career ERA is 2.94, pitched 321 innings, and struck out 335 batters. He has kept batters off the base paths shown by his 1.06 WHIP.

Dunshee is 25-years-old and had a successful college career which boosted his draft stock. The Athletics starting pitcher does not have a high 90s fastball, but he gets batters out by deception. Dunshee’s fastball sits in the 90-91 mph and has a great slider, a curveball, and changeup which are getting better. According to MLB.com, he has been working “on a cutter that’s sort of a hybrid off of his slider.”

My thinking with Dunshee is that his struggles in Triple-A exposed his lack of “amazing stuff,” but I think if he continues to improve his other secondary pitches, he might find great success out of the bullpen. My other thought is that he is conserving his arm to pitch deep into games, instead of letting loose for one to two innings. Dunshee has proven himself at almost every level of the minors, and I think the Mariners should give him a spot if it comes down to him during the Rule 5 Draft.

Dunshee could also be a spot starter if the rotation needed help every once in a while. But also, if the Mariners want to add more starting pitching depth, Dunshee could be a future part of the rotation. Remember, many of these Rule 5 Draft prospects still have a long career ahead of them as young professionals. Because he would be a Rule 5 pick, he would need to be in the 26-man roster in 2021, so there would need to be some moving around if they want him in the rotation.

No. 5: Trevor Stephan from the New York Yankees, 24th prospect

Trevor Stephan is the 24th prospect in the always impressive Yankees farm system and was a former third-round pick in 2017. Stephan reached Double-A in 2019, so he should be ready to pitch at the big league level, especially based on his solid numbers in the minor leagues. Stephan has mostly worked as a starting pitcher, but I think his stuff could work well out of the bullpen as well.

Stephan has a mid to high 90s fastball with a deceptive crossfire delivery. This already makes Stephan sound like a future relief pitcher. He has run on his fastball, a decent slider with a high spin rate, and a curveball that is a work in progress. The 6’5″ right-handed pitcher struggled in 2019, but that was nearly two seasons ago if you count 2020.

Trevor Stephan has the stuff and body to be a good pitcher, and I think he will be even more effective out of the pen. He can touch 98 mph, and if he pitches out of the bullpen he can stay in the upper 90s more consistently. According to MLB.com, people were worried about his control but his career WHIP is 1.18. He can strike batters out at a great rate which is another reason to like him being in the bullpen.

No. 6: Oliver Ortega from the Los Angeles Angels, 17th prospect

Out of all of the prospects mentioned thus far, Oliver Ortega is the highest-ranked prospect among MLB teams. Ortega is the 17th prospect in the Angels farm system and he is another pitcher that has been mostly starting games. Although that is not the most ideal type of player like Parker Dunshee, MLB.com may think that Ortega could be a long-term reliever if his control does not get better.

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Oliver Ortega also has great stuff and touches 99mph with his fastball. In his relief stints early in his career, he can regularly be in the high 90s. His curveball has been good and has a below-average changeup in the mix. The 24-year-old reached Double-A in 2019 and reminds me a little of the Astros’ relief pitcher Enoli Paredes.

Ortega owns a minor league career 3.83 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and struck out 285 batters over 265.1 innings. For being such a young hard-throwing pitcher, his control is still pretty good and his strikeout numbers are up. Ortega just sounds like a future star relief pitcher if his changeup can get better from where it is now. The benefit of both Stephan and Ortega is that they have been starting pitchers, so if the Seattle Mariners picked them, they could be ready for both situations.

No. 9: Enyel De Los Santos from the Philadelphia Phillies, 9th prospect

Enyel De Los Santos is another player that was originally signed by the Seattle Mariners but was traded to the San Diego Padres in return for Joaquin Benoit. The 6’3″ right-hander is the highest-ranked prospect on this list, but again the Mariners are not just looking for the highest-ranked prospect like I mentioned previously.

If De Los Santos were a relief pitcher, it might change the narrative but that is not the case. The 24-year-old has almost pitched his entire minor league career as a starter beginning in 2015. He has made 12 appearances in the MLB now, seven times in 2018 and five times in 2019.

De Los Santos struggled as a young pitcher at the MLB level, but he has not made an appearance for the Phillies since 2019. There is no doubt that De Los Santos has potential. He has a strong arm that reaches 98mph, an above-average slider, and a strong but inconsistent changeup.

For me, De Los Santos’ pitch combination might suit him better for the bullpen, but it depends on how quickly he can adjust to being a relief pitcher. Some of the other prospects higher on my list for the Mariners have some pen experience, which De Los Santos does not have very much of. The one positive thing about De Los Santos is time spent in Triple-A and minimal MLB experience, which some of the other prospects do not have.

No. 10: Packy Naughton from the Los Angeles Angels, 12th prospect

Packy Naughton from the Angels is another exciting middle-tier prospect, but he has mostly been a starting pitcher. The former ninth-round pick in 2017 is the 12th ranked Angels prospect and has solid minor league numbers. The 6’2″ southpaw does not have alarming measurables, but his fastball movement and deception help him get batters out.

His fastball is anywhere from 87-94 mph and mixes in a slider and changeup. According to MLB.com, “he still has a chance at being a No. 5 type starter or an effective middle reliever.” Just based on all of this, he sounds like a less impressive Marco Gonzales. But that can be a good thing because many underestimated Gonzales’ future success in the MLB.

Based on his fastball velocity range, maybe he will be able to unleash his fastball more often if he pitches out of the pen and could average 92-93 mph instead of 90-91 mph. Left-handed relief pitchers are hard to find sometimes, and if Naughton is willing to adapt he could be really effective.

He is still 24-years-old and has limited time pitching out of the bullpen but he is effective at getting batters out. He reached Double-A in 2019 so he should be ready to pitch at the big league level in 2021 just like all of the Rule 5 Draft candidates I listed.

There is an impressive group of Rule 5 Draft pitchers and it will be interesting to see how Jerry Dipoto goes forward. The Mariners only have one spot left on the 40-man roster so Dipoto might be cautious in his draft strategy. If the Mariners are unable to get one of the top Rule 5 relief pitchers, it might not be worth sacrificing that extra spot on the 40-man. The Rule 5 Draft is right around the corner, so stay tuned for more updates.