Why the Mariners' No. 3 draft pick could end up on a fast track to the majors

With the 2025 MLB Draft approaching, the Seattle Mariners hold the No. 3 overall pick, their highest selection since 2012. The opportunity to land a player who could make an immediate impact is very real.

While many top draft picks often take years to work their way through the minors, The Athletic’s Keith Law recently highlighted several players who could fast-track their way to the big leagues, and the Mariners might be the perfect landing spot for three of them.

The Mariners are positioned to land a fast-riser with the No. 3 pick

Law identified a trio of pitchers in particular — Liam Doyle (Tennessee), Kade Anderson (LSU), and Jamie Arnold (Florida State) — as arms who could move quickly through the minors after being drafted. Each of them has the kind of polish, velocity, and strike-throwing ability that could allow them to follow a path similar to Paul Skenes and Chase Burns, both of whom made the majors less than a year after being drafted in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

For a Mariners team built around elite pitching and looking to maximize its competitive window, that kind of immediate contribution would be invaluable.

Arnold has drawn comparisons to Chris Sale with his low arm slot and swing-and-miss stuff. Anderson offers elite pitchability with a high floor from the left side. Doyle has arguably the best fastball in college baseball, touching 100 mph. All three would fit the Mariners’ development model, which has produced rotation stalwarts like Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller in recent years.

What’s especially exciting for Mariners fans is that this pick may not be about dreaming on a 19-year-old who might help in four or five years. It could be about grabbing a high-floor, high-upside college arm who’s just one clean year in the minors away from contributing. That immediacy makes the pick even more crucial as Seattle eyes the postseason now and in the near future.

In a system already known for pitching development, adding another potential impact starter who could help by the end of 2025 isn’t just a luxury — it’s a legitimate game-changer. Mariners fans should be thrilled, as the No. 3 pick could deliver not just long-term promise, but near-term production