The 7 best MLB Draft picks the Seattle Mariners failed to sign

As we count down to this year's MLB Draft in Philadelphia on July 11-13, thoughts turn to the Mariners' draft history. They've enjoyed an excellent reputation over the years, which has only improved since Jerry Dipoto came on board in September of 2015. Sure, he's always going to have his detractors, but in a candid moment even they have to admit he's extremely effective when it comes to discovering talented prospects.

For all the success the Mariners have enjoyed over the years it obviously hasn't always gone right, with prime examples being a couple of "can't miss" draft picks in Dustin Ackley and Jeff Clement. Then there's those prospects who they don't even get the chance to sign, who went on to have success elsewhere.

7 Mariners draft picks who the fanbase wish they had signed

Tony Phillips: 16th round, 1977

If you go on bWAR alone, Tony Phillips is the best Mariners draft pick to have never signed with the team. And at 50.9 it isn't even particularly close, with Robby Thompson in second place at 33.9. This is a testament to both Phillips' productivity and a Major League career which lasted 18 years, despite -- or maybe because of -- his small stature by baseball standards, with him admitting he had a case of little man's disease As he once said: “I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder – it was a chunk.”

The Mariners selected Phillips in the 16th round of the 1977 draft, but it was the then-Montreal Expos who ended up signing him after taking him a year later in the 10th round. However, after also spending a period with the Padres organization, it was a trade to the Athletics in 1981 which would provide the platform for his success. He was often overshadowed by bigger names, but was valued by teammates and fans alike for what he brought to the field.

Another two keys to Phillips' long and successful career, was the potent combination of being defensively versatile and having a tremendous work ethic. He won a much-deserved World Series ring in his final season with the Athletics in 1989, and went on to enjoy better personal success with the Tigers, but it's interesting -- and unfortunate -- that he never won any individual awards at any of his Major League stops. Tragically he passed away in 2016 at just 56 from an apparent heart attack, but his underrated impact on the game is now more appreciated than ever.

Lance Lynn: 6th round, 2005

For Mariners fans, Randy Johnson is the one who got away, going on to have even more success after he left Seattle. The organization would have loved to replace his imposing presence with someone similar and Lance Lynn could have been that pitcher, after drafting him in the sixth round in 2005. Instead, a player who towered over others even as a 12-year-old playing in the Little League World Series, was not destined for the Pacific Northwest.

The 39-year-old experienced early success after signing with the Cardinals, who drafted him 39th overall in 2008. He was part of the roster which won the 2011 World Series in his first season of Major League action, and the following year he earned his first of two All-Star selections. He proved to be extremely durable in St. Louis, regularly making 30 starts save for missing all of 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Lynn played 13 years across six organizations before retiring in 2025, after actually becoming even more effective in his early 30s and earning AL Cy Young votes in three straight seasons between 2019-2021. As per James Fegan of The Athletic, the Indiana native credited highly-regarded pitching coach and performance analyst Jay Lehr for his late-career breakout. He would come back to haunt the Mariners in a manner of speaking, with 16 strikeouts versus them in June of 2023 to tie a White Sox franchise record for most Ks in a game.

Barry Zito: 59th round, 1996

The Mariners have had two AL Cy Young Award winners during their existence, in Johnson (1995) and Félix Hernández (2010). It could have been three winners though, if they'd managed to sign Barry Zito after drafting him in 1996. He would have also doubled as an all-time steal, with them picking him in the 59th round.

Interestingly, the Rangers similarly did not sign Zito after selecting him in the third round of the 1998 draft. Instead, he waited another year before signing for the third AL West team which took him, with the Athletics selecting him ninth overall. And over the following seven seasons the Mariners and Rangers got regular up-close and regretful looks at him, as he was named an All-Star three times and won his AL Cy Young in 2002.

Zito would then sign a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Giants, which at the time was the highest ever for a Major League pitcher. He didn't perform as well as in Oakland, to the extent ESPN called him one of the worst free agent signings in MLB history. However, he did step up during the Giants' 2012 postseason run to a World Series championship, with a 1.69 ERA in three starts, before finishing his career back with the Athletics in 2015.

Robby Thompson: 6th round, 1982

As mentioned, Thompson has the second-highest bWAR of all time for a player not signed by the Mariners. They selected him in the sixth round of the 1982 draft, but he waited another year and was subsequently taken second overall by the Giants. And he proved to be that increasingly rare breed of someone who remained loyal, playing all 11 years of his Major League career in San Francisco.

As with how Thompson is second-best to Phillips in bWAR, he was often overshadowed during his playing career by his contemporary at second base, Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. (Incidentally, Sandberg was born and raised in Spokane.) However, while Thompson didn't accrue anywhere near as many individual accolades as Sandberg, he was still an integral part of the Giants roster throughout his time in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Thompson showed right away he belonged by finishing second in voting for 1986 NL Rookie of the Year, and went on to earn two All-Star selections. One came in 1993, when he had a career year which included a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award. The closest he came to a ring was when the Giants were swept in the 1989 World Series by the Athletics and after retiring he did end up in Seattle, as the M's bench coach for three seasons between 2011-13.

Lance Johnson: 31st round, 1982

When it comes to Lance Johnson, we wouldn't go as far as calling him underrated per se. However, the Mariners missed out on a player who could do damage on the field in any number of ways. The M's had their chance in 1982 when they selected him in the 31st round, but he waited two more years and signed with the Cardinals after they took him in the sixth round, albeit he would only play one season with them.

It took a move to the White Sox to help Johnson get going, and he never looked back. While in Chicago, he left his mark on Major League history by becoming the first ever player to lead his league in triples for four consecutive seasons, between 1991-94. In his final campaign with the team in 1995, he led the AL in hits, which set the stage for another entry into the history books.

That came the following year in Johnson's one full season with the Mets, when he led the majors in hits, making him the only player in MLB history to lead both leagues in hits. It's surprising he only ever earned one All-Star selection, which came that same year he led the majors in hits. He was troubled by injuries during his final few seasons, but in his final year in 2000 the Yankees won the World Series and gave him ring despite only playing in 18 games, a wonderful gift for him to leave the game with.

Juan Pierre: 30th round, 1995 & 48th round, 1996

To get an idea of how good Juan Pierre was, he's been called the best center fielder in Marlins historydespite only spending four of his 14 Major League seasons in Miami. Sure, this is a franchise with an all-time .460 winning percentage and just four playoff berths. However, the impact he had in his short time with them is undeniable, and he remains one of their most popular players with fans to this day.

The Mariners actually liked Pierre enough to pick him in successive drafts in 1995 and 1996, but he waited another two years to sign, after the Rockies took him in the 13th round. He had an almost immediate impact in Colorado after making his Major League debut in 2000, but it was after his trade to Miami in November of 2002, when he really found his feet. Between 2003-05 he played every single game for the Marlins, regularly used his speed to steal bases, twice garnered NL MVP votes and just generally caused chaos.

The highlight for Pierre was helping the Marlins win their second World Series in 2023, over the Yankees no less. His career accolades include twice leading the majors in stolen bases (and once more in the NL) and pacing the NL in hits on two occasions, as he also played with the Cubs, Dodgers, White Sox and Phillies. However, it was fitting that he returned to Miami for one final season in 2013 before retiring, and these days he remains involved with the organization as a guest instructor.

Adley Rutschman: 40th round, 2016

We finish with an extremely interesting lost signing, in that Adley Rutschman is still playing in the majors and at 28, still theoretically has plenty of years to go yet. Only in his fifth year in the majors, this alludes to just how much of an impact he's already had. We're even sure Mariners fans would have "forgiven" him for hailing from Portland and playing at Oregon State - yep, he's that talented.

The Mariners made their move in 2016, drafting Rutschman in the 40th round while he was still at high school. However, it would be the Orioles who ultimately get him for an at-the-time MLB record $8.1 million signing bonus, after taking him first overall in 2019. And it's already proven to be money well spent, with him hitting the ground running after making his major league in 2022.

Rutschman finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting and received AL MVP votes that first season, and since then he hasn't looked back. Sure the Mariners are set in Seattle with Cal Raleigh, but the Orioles catcher was named an All-Star twice over before Raleigh finally received his first selection last year. And for any critics who said Rutschman regressed in 2025, this season he's hitting better than ever, highlighted by a .839 OPS which projects to be a career-high.

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