2024 Seattle Mariners Draft Pick Impresses in Professional Debut
The Seattle Mariners minor league system has been a hotbed of activity the past week.
Top prospect Felnin Celesten suffered a season-ending injury while Colt Emerson was promoted to the team's High-A affiliate Everett AquaSox.
Other players like Tai Peete, Michael Arroyo and Lazaro Montes have also been on solid stretches respectively.
It was also a big week for several club newcomers.
The Mariners assigned seven 2024 draft picks and undrafted free agents to the team's Low-A affiliate Modesto Nuts on Monday and one of them wasted no time making an impact.
In his first professional game — 13th-round draft pick Brandon Eike went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. He also scored twice. He started at third base and batted fifth in the lineup for the Nuts.
Going, going, gone!
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) August 7, 2024
13th-round pick @BrandonEike crushed his first professional homer for the @ModestoNuts last night! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/tCeSLbvvnK
Eike was drafted out of Virginia Commonwealth on July 16. He hit .363 with 25 combined home runs, 133 RBIs and had a 1.072 OPS in two years with the Rams. He was named first-team All-Atlantic 10 in both seasons and was the Atlantic 10 conference Player of the Year in 2024.
Fellow top Seattle prospect Tyler Locklear also went to Virginia Commonwealth.
"(Eike's) a kid that can move around the field and what jumped out was obviously the power potential and his ability to drive the baseball," Mariners Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter said after Day 3 of the draft on July 16. "Kind of like Ty. Maybe not on the same swing decision level as Ty was. But definitely has real power. He's played left field, has played first base, can play third base as well."
Eike was at one time a North Carolina commit and his versatility and power translated well across his college career. It looks like that's already translating at the professional level.
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MARINERS PROSPECT WINS WEEKLY AWARD: Seattle Mariners outfielder Carlos Jimenez was named the California League Player of the Week on Monday for his impressive play with the Modesto Nuts. CLICK HERE
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