Seattle Mariners 2024 Draft Pick Makes Impressive Pro Debut With Modesto Nuts
The Seattle Mariners have already gotten a lot of production out of their 2024 draft class.
The Mariners top two draft picks — switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and right-handed Ryan Sloan — have reported to the Arizona Complex League and won't take the mound for the rest of the season but are getting the coaching needed to start the 2025 season on a good note.
Some other draft picks have already made their debuts with the team's Low-A affiliate Modesto Nuts.
Another Seattle draft pick made his debut for Modesto on Tuesday and has already made an impression.
The Mariners assigned eighth-round draft pick Will Riley to the Nuts on Tuesday. Riley was drafted out of the Virginia Military Institute and opted to sign with Seattle instead of following through with his transfer to the University of Virginia.
Lock it in 🔒
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) July 15, 2024
Our pick in the 8th round of the 2024 #MLBDraft is @WillRiley_, a RHP out of @VMIbaseco. #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/jTW8FiAZer
Riley joined a Modesto team that will finish out the regular season on Sept. 8. The Nuts will play the San Jose Giants on Sept. 10 in the first of a three-game divisional playoff series.
Riley pitched a perfect fifth inning in his debut with the Nuts on Tuesday. He didn't strike out any batters but 15 of his 25 pitches were strikes.
Riley is a compact pitcher at 6-foot, 200 pounds. He had a 6.78 ERA and a 23.4% strikeout rate during his final season at VMI.
Hitters struggled to generate solid contact against Riley during the 2024 college season. Almost 65% of players to get on base against Riley were left stranded. And it looks like Riley is continuing to excel at generating weak contact considering he retired the side in order with three ground outs in his debut.
It looks like the Mariners are confident enough in their draft class to start some of the them in the minor league system. And it's paying off.
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