3 college hitters who could become Mariners on Draft Day

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.