Latest MLB mock draft has Jerry Dipoto doing what he does best for Mariners

Even as the Mariners attempt to get their season on track, the front office still also has to prepare for the upcoming MLB Draft in Philadelphia. Fans won't be quite as excited as last year, when the M's had the third overall pick, but there's still plenty of reason for intrigue. And according to the latest mock draft by MLB.com's Jim Callis, he has the organization selecting Tegan Kuhns out of Tennessee at No. 24.

Kuhns enjoyed a fine season with the Volunteers, starting 14 of his 15 appearances and producing a 3.56 ERA, 1.185 WHIP and 106 strikeouts over 81.0 combined innings. Callis does also mention the likes of Hunter Dietz, Logan Reddemann and Cole Carlon as possibilities. Irrespective, Callis believes the Mariners could kick off a run on college arms by teams, which would be right in Jerry Dipoto's wheelhouse.

For all the criticism Dipoto has received during his tenure in Seattle -- some deserved, some not so much -- he's had tremendous success in discovering and developing young talent, particularly pitchers. And this tremendous success becomes even more evident when you consider only the Guardians have produced more fWAR from college arms than the Mariners from draft picks between 2016-2025:

Aside from Logan Gilbert, the Mariners' top hits are plentiful, including George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller. And it sure seems like last year's third overall pick Kade Anderson will be joining the party (rotation) sooner than later, with him absolutely annihilating the competition in Double-A. Though 12 starts, he's producing a 1.02 ERA, 0.649 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 61.2 combined innings.

No matter the round, Jerry Dipoto has a gift for finding quality pitching talent

Heck, even though he's no longer with the Mariners organization, there may be the possibility of praising Jurrangelo Cijntje in the future. Admittedly he's been struggling in Double-A Springfield since he was traded to the Cardinals as part of the Brendan Donovan blockbuster deal. However, we're still talking about a 15th overall pick, who showed glimpses of his potential for the M's organization before being shipped off to St. Louis.

Taking into account that this is just a mock draft by Callis and MLB.com, we appreciate you can make the case that a college arm at No. 24 in the first round is playing it safe. However, it's worth noting that Dipoto is good at digging up gems wherever in the draft, whether it be Kirby at No. 20 overall, Miller in the fourth round or, best of all, Woo in the sixth round.

The point is, if the Mariners do go down the road of taking a college arm with their first pick, history indicates fans should have complete confidence that more often than not, it works out. We've said it before and we'll say it again: "Dipoto knows pitchers."

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