Mariners Potential Draft Profile: Sam Bachman – RHP – Miami of Ohio

The Mariners have a strong group of young pitchers in their farm system right now. Some of them have even been showing off their stuff in the majors, like Logan Gilbert. If they wanted to continue to build depth, we all know you can’t have enough pitching, they could look to Miami of Ohio RHP Sam Bachman.

After watching Bachman for his first two years of college, there wasn’t any indicator that he would be a future first-round pick. He was definitely going to be drafted, but it was just going to be as “a guy”. An ERA of 3.81, a WHIP of 1.352, and a K rate of 9.6/9. His fastball sat in the low 90s, and he looked like any other good starter in college.

Sam Bachman improved by leaps and bounds, catching the eyes of many, including the Mariners.

During his junior year, it was like he was a completely different pitcher. He sat in the mid-90s and would touch 101 occasionally. Those are big boy numbers, and the reason his fastball is listed as a plus-plus pitch with a grade of 70. Due to his arm motion and the resulting sink, it makes for one of the best fastballs in the class.

The results were immediate, with an ERA of 1.81, a WHIP of 0.771, and a K rate of 14/9. He also limited the long ball, giving up just one home run in 59.1 innings. The improvement comes from more than just the fastball. With the increased velocity on his pitches, his slider, a near plus-plus grade of 65, is reminiscent of the aforementioned Gilbert, operating in the mid-80s with a strong bite at the end of it.

Sometimes, a pitcher’s effectiveness with a change-up goes away when they gain velo. With Sam Bachman, it’s turned into one of those fall-off-the-table pitches. It’s not fantastic but still comes with a 55 grade.

As you read all about his repertoire, you would think that he would sit higher up in the rankings for the draft. Due to a bit of a janky arm motion, both short and low, there are worries about repeatability and stamina/recovery. A couple of starts were missed due to fatigue, but there doesn’t seem to be much true worry. Most teams think they can work these things out, and with the genius that is Rob Marcello, the Mariners could turn him into an Ace.

As the draft gets ever closer, there still isn’t a true read on what’s going to be available at #12 for the Mariners. If Sam Bachman is available, the team is going to have a strong discussion on whether or not he is going to be their selection in the first round.