Red-hot Mariners prospect is becoming the biggest steal of the 2024 MLB Draft

When the Seattle Mariners selected Ryan Sloan with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, it turned heads. Not just because he was ranked the No. 19 prospect on MLB Pipeline's pre-draft boards, but because Seattle shelled out nearly $1.4 million over slot to sign the high schooler away from a college commitment.

Less than a year later, that aggressive move already looks like one of the best decisions on draft day in the Jerry Dipoto era.

Sloan, just 19 years old, has quickly become one of the biggest pitching prospects in baseball, now ranking as the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners system (the highest ranked pitcher according to MLB Pipeline). Touted as a polished high school arm at the time of the draft, he’s more than lived up to the billing in his first full professional season.

Ryan Sloan's stock is skyrocketing in his pro debut for Mariners

In his first 17 starts of 2025, Sloan has posted a 3.70 ERA with 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings and an elite walk rate of just 2.1 per nine, demonstrating a rare level of command for a teenage pitcher. His ability to fill up the zone with quality stuff is separating him from his peers.

Sloan was especially dominant in July. In 16 innings, he issued just three walks while striking out 20, showcasing not just polish, but poise and feel that are well beyond his years. The fact that he’s already excelling at High-A Modesto is remarkable. Most pitchers his age are still adjusting to professional routines in rookie ball or Low-A, but Sloan is already showing he’s too advanced for that level.

His combination of stuff and command is a testament to both his talent and Seattle’s developmental system. The Mariners have earned a reputation as one of the best pitching development organizations in baseball, having graduated or refined talents like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller in recent years. Sloan looks like the next in that line, perhaps even the most exciting yet, given his age and upside.

If this trajectory continues, the Mariners may have landed an All-Star-caliber starter in the middle of the second round. The decision to go over slot now looks less like a gamble and more like highway robbery. Ryan Sloan isn’t just one of Seattle’s best prospects, he might be the steal of the entire 2024 draft.