3 college hitters who could become Mariners on Draft Day

The Seattle Mariners have developed into an organization that does a good job of drafting and developing young players. We have seen the fruits of drafting college pitchers in the first round of the draft this season, homegrown right-hander Logan Gilbert earned his first career All Star selection and George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo have all had shining moments in the first half of the season.

They have also drafted some young high school players who have risen up prospect rankings and now account for the organization's top three prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Harry Ford, Cole Young, and Colt Emerson have all shined in the minor leagues and are becoming coveted trade assets around the league as well as potential future Mariners with a high upside.

Looking now to the 2024 MLB Draft, there is a lot of uncertainty with who the Mariners could have a chance to draft since they hold the 15th pick in the draft. There are some strong college pitchers who could certainly be an exciting option because of how well the Mariners have developed similar types of players. However, many mock drafts have them being selected before the Mariners get on the clock at 15.

That leads us to college hitters. This is a demographic that we have not seen the Mariners draft in the first round since they took Evan White in 2017. He unfortunately didn't work out because of his injuries, but there are three college hitters who could become Mariners with the 15th pick in the first round of the draft.

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.