Grading the Mariners last 5 first round draft picks

The Mariners have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. What grade would you give the Mariners first round picks from the past five years?

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2019 First round pick: George Kirby, RHP (Elon University), 20th overall pick

I think we all know the grade I am going to give this pick, it's not rocket science. This pick definitely gets an A+. Kirby has been one of the most consistent front-line starters in all of baseball throughout his Mariners career. George is in his third season in the Majors and has already been an All-Star once (Back in 2023). He has made 75 starts in his career, and has posted a 3.37 ERA (3.11 FIP) and hs hearned 7.1 bWAR. George is still just 26 years old, and under club control through the 2028 season.

While most pitchers today are focused on their "stuff", George has really excelled on his command. His pitches are still nasty, don't get me wrong, but George really excels on limiting his walks. In 2023, George led the league in walks per 9 innings with 0.9. He walked less than one batter per 9 innings, that is insane to me. So far in 2024, He has the same BB/9 with 0.9.

In this draft, the Mariners had the 20th overall pick where they selected George Kirby. The only player who has an All-Star appearance who was selected after Kirby is Gunnar Henderson. While it would be nice for the Mariners to have Henderson in their lineup, I am happy with the pick the Mariners made. Not to mention, if these guys were re-drafted, the Mariners would not have either Kirby or Henderson.

Like I said above, I give this pick an absolute A+.

Schedule