Seattle Mariners Continue to Add Talent in The MLB Draft
The Seattle Mariners started the 2024 MLB Draft on a roll with the selections of switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje in the first round out of Mississippi State and high-school pitcher Ryan Sloan out of York Community High school in Illinois.
The Mariners elected to go with potential and upside with those selections and continued down that route with their selections on Day 2 of the MLB Draft on Monday.
Here's a quick overview of the selections:
Round 3: Hunter Cranton, RHP, Kansas
Round 4: Josh Caron, Catcher, Nebraska
Round 5: Charlie Beilenson, RHP, Duke
Round 6: Grant Knipp, Catcher/RHP, Campbell
Round 7: Brock Moore, RHP, Oregon
Round 8: Will Riley, RHP, Virginia Military Institute
Round 9: Aiden Butler, RHP, Polk State College
Round 10: Anthony Donofrio, Outfielder, North Carolina
There's a few interesting names on that list. The biggest thing that sticks out is the two-way ability of Knipp.
"It's kind of the flavor of the year — it's kind of what we're doing," Mariners Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter said on Monday in a media interview via Zoom. "Take the two-way guy — the interesting player that can do a little bit of everything."
Seattle Mariners select Grant Knipp a Two Way Player from Campbell University 183rd Overall in the 2024 MLB Draft#CollegeBaseball #MLBDraft
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) July 15, 2024
pic.twitter.com/2ryFWoUv54
Knipp had 35 home runs in three years at Campbell, including 18 this past season. He spent most of the year as a designated hitter due to a hamstring injury, which also limited any extended look as a pitcher.
Knipp threw 5.2 innings with the Camels in four appearances and had a 1.59 ERA and two saves.
Knipp was not the only player drafted for his potential. Moore is a 6-foot-6, 230 pound prospect who throws upper-90s heatters and low-80s on the off-speed stuff. Butler and Riley are two NCAA Division-I transfer commits. And Caron is someone who already brings power to the position and can becomes a more complete prospect with improved arm strength. He's also going to be catching a lot from these news pitchers.
Aiden Butler (@PolkStBaseball) operating in the upper-80s & coming out pretty easy. Showing 11-5 CB & solid CH too. Long & projectable 6’6”/193 #PGJC pic.twitter.com/iuGNocoKUP
— Perfect Game Florida (@Florida_PG) April 8, 2023
Donofrio, a graduate student in 2024 with the Tar Heels, is a pure contact hitter and connected on a .326 clip last season, and lines up well with the high-end position players in Seattle's farm system.
At least one of these prospects is also really excited to get things rolling with his new club.
"(Butler) really wanted to come out and sign," Hunter said. "We've done so well — knock on wood — with pitching that agents and players that are in that pitching world kind of lean toward signing or wanting to sign with the Mariners. And that's obviously something that helps me on draft day."
The Mariners have eight players in the top 100, according to Baseball America. One of them is a pitcher (Logan Evans). Seattle has had a few players take steps forward in their development, namely LHP Brandyn Garcia, but the cupboard is still a little bare compared to position players.
Hunter projects the pitchers he drafted to range from high-end bullpen pieces to potential starters.
Seattle has drafted seven (potentially eight) pitchers in its first 10 picks, and has elected to go with upside and development rather than more polished players.
Nothing is for sure in baseball, but based on the Mariners' track record of developing homegrown talent, especially on the mound, it's more likely than not that a lot of that potential will pay off in the coming years.
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