Seattle Mariners: Meet the Day Three 2021 MLB draftees

The 2021 MLB Draft has finished up, and the Mariners have made all 20 of their picks. We already wrote about their first-round pick in Harry Ford, as well as snippets during the live coverage of Day Two’s action on Monday. What about the third-round guys?

It can be a bit harder to learn about the later guys that are taken. It’s easy to see the pick and respond with “Huh… Who?!” I wanted to help out a little bit by giving you a bit of information about each pick they made during the final day of the draft, and some insights about them that might help you to be more familiar with the picks.

Let’s learn a bit more about the Mariners Day Three Draft picks

11th round (324) – William Fleming – RHP – Wake Forest

Big guy at 6’6″, 220. Inching toward 100 on the heater, and it’s got good sinking movement. Pairs it with a slider, but is pretty limited to just those two pitches.

12th round (354) – Corey Rosier – OF – UNC Greensboro

Going to HAVE to overpay to keep him. Can go back to school otherwise. Raked in college, hitting .354/.434/.604, with 12 HR and 17 SB. Unless the team under slots a few other guys by a good amount, don’t expect Rosier to sign with the Mariners.

13th round (384) – Ben Ramirez – SS – USC

Ramirez started developing late power and can play third as well, which is his most likely finishing spot on the diamond. Nice swing for a lefty, but could be limited if the glove and arm aren’t strong enough to keep him at 3B.

14th round (414) – Andrew Moore – LHP – Chipola College

Another big pitcher, he stands at 6’5″. Hard to hit, Moore had a BAA just under .200. Very high spin rate, throws HEAT, but doesn’t have great control after walking 47 in just 56 innings.

15th round (444) – Cole Barr – 3B – Indiana

Massive power back in 2019, but it was a blip. 17 homers as compared to just eight this season. However, the walk rate went up and the K rate went down. It’s easier to build the power back than to try and cut those both down, especially as he progresses through the ranks.

16th round (474) – Jimmy Joyce – RHP – Hofstra

One of my favorite picks in the draft, Joyce seems like a steal this late. 73 innings, over 6 innings per start on average, 11 K/9, and just 2.6 BB/9. He’s got a good spin rate but will need to find a couple more ticks of velocity to reach the mid 90’s and likely be effective enough for the majors.

17th round (504) – Jimmy Kingsbury – RHP – Villanova

Great K rate this year of 12/9, and durable to boot. Likely to end up being a reliever as he seemed to struggle whenever he had to take the mound to start the game and is more effective out of the pen.

18th round (534) – Riley Davis – RHP – Alabama-Birmingham

Made solid steps this year to become a draftable player. Durable with good stamina, Davis had three complete games this season, while decreasing his ERA to 3.74 in nearly 80 innings of work. Oh, and he’s another guy that doesn’t walk batters that often, with a rate of just 2.7BB/9.

19th round (564) – Charlie Welch – C – Arkansas

Didn’t play a ton this season, but raked whenever he was given the opportunity. In just 81 PA he had eight homers and five doubles. A good eye and small K rate make for a solid late pick on day three.

20th round (594) – Troy Taylor – RHP – Cypress College

Good slider, and heat that reaches the high 90s, his role is going to be as a reliever. If you can find a projectable reliever with a solid two-pitch mix in your last pick of the draft, then you deserve kudos all around. He’s going to need to work on control instantly though, hitting seven, walking 20, and throwing eight wild pitches in just 28 innings.

Hopefully, you know them all a bit better now, or at least know who you can expect to see in the upcoming season. The Mariners had one of the better drafts, likely just inside the top ten. Adding that level of talent to a top-five farm system makes for a great situation, and the future looks to remain bright in Seattle.