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.

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.