3 college hitters who could become Mariners on Draft Day

Seaver King

Seaver King is an infielder/outfielder from Wake Forest who dominated the lower levels of college baseball before transferring to a powerhouse this past season. He put up good numbers, slashing .308/.377/.577 with 16 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He played games at second base, shortstop, and third base on the infield but also played over 20 games in center field this year.

MLB Pipeline had this to say about King on defense, "With well above-average speed and solid arm strength, King is a versatile defender. He opened this season as a center fielder before settling in at third base, also seeing action at shortstop and second base. He'd have the most pro value at shortstop, though he's merely average there and would need to polish up his actions and throwing accuracy. He's solid at the other spots and may fit best in the outfield because his hands are just OK."

It would be better if King was a better defender at shortstop, but there can only be 30 Major League shortstops so if he has to move to the outfield or another infield spot then hopefully he should still be a solid defender. The hope is that he could be a nice player who has a high ceiling at the big league level.

Future Stars Series had this to say about King in a recent mock draft, "King is a dynamic pack of tools that can fit wherever the organization needs, and the bat speed and raw juice are dynamic. His approach is his Achilles heel, but if he can be more patient there’s a chance at a star here."

Since he should have a quicker path to the big leagues than some of the other Mariners infield prospects, that excites me. If the Mariners make a trade later this month where they send away some infield prospects like Cole Young, Tai Peete, or Michael Arroyo, adding King to the farm system would be good.

James Tibbs

James Tibbs is an offensive-minded outfielder from Florida State who has put up some big numbers for the Seminoles. This past season he hit .363/.488/.777 with 28 home runs, 95 RBI, 58 walks, and 37 strikeouts. He brings a lot of power from the left side of the plate and has gotten on base a lot, which is something that would certainly be welcomed to the Mariners lineup. However, he has questions about his defense in the outfield and is not a great runner.

With uncertainties about Tibbs's chances to play defense at an average or better level, the pressure to be a good big leaguer is placed solely on his ability to hit. If he struggles to hit and is not a good defender then the chances of playing in the big leagues or sticking in the big leagues decreases significantly. That said, no draft prospect is a sure thing and the potential for a middle of the order hitter is exciting.

MLB Pipeline has Tibbs ranked as their 12th best prospect in the draft and had this to say about him, "It will be Tibbs’ bat that gets him drafted in the first few rounds. The left-handed hitter is confident and smart at the plate, with an approach he’s improved over his time at Florida State, cutting his strikeout rate and upping his walk rate considerably from his freshman to his sophomore seasons, and even more so this spring. He punishes fastballs and has been showing the ability to get to his average power and drive the ball to all fields, though he’s struggled more with breaking stuff in the past."

The intrigue of adding a position player to the Mariners farm system that could be in the big leagues before the current big league starting rotation runs out of club control is tantilizing. If Tibbs tears through the minor leagues he could see himself playing right field in T-Mobile Park in 2027 or 2028. The Mariners have done a good job of adding up the middle players like Harry Ford, Cole Young, and Jonny Farmelo so they could afford to add a corner player.

Cam Smith

The final player on this list is a teammate of James Tibbs at Florida State, third baseman Cam Smith. He was a top prospect coming out of high school just a few years ago and has continued to be atop draft rankings and has performed well at FSU. He hit .387/.488/.654 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles, 44 walks, and 48 strikeouts. The 21-year-old helped propel a deep playoff run for the Seminoles with his defense at third base and a top of the order bat.

MLB Pipeline ranks Smith as the 14th best draft prospect available in the upcoming draft and said, "At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Smith already looks the part with plenty of now strength. How much he hits will help dictate how consistently he can get to his plus raw power, and he’s answered that question well last summer and this spring. He struggled to stick to an approach and have quality at-bats during his freshman year, often chasing pitches out of the zone, but that was vastly improved on the Cape, with his miss rate dropping from 29 percent to 19 over the summer. It’s a trend that’s continued in 2024 as Smith continued keep the swing-and-miss to a minimum."

Smith is a solid player across the board who could become an every day player, something the Mariners could benefit from in the next few years. He doesn't have any super flashy or loud tools, but also doesn't have any glaring weaknesses or holes in his game. He is just a solid ballplayer who has been highly thought of for a long time and going with someone who has a pedigree of talent and performance is not a bad way to go.

Whoever Scott Hunter, Jerry Dipoto, and Justin Hollander select with the 15th overall pick in the MLB Draft should get fans excited because they have shown an ability to draft good players and develop them to get them to the big leagues or turn them into more highly regarded prospects than they used to be. I would like to see them go with a college hitter unless East Carolina righty Trey Yesavage is available, and Seaver King, James Tibbs, and Cam Smith could all make sense.