Seattle Mariners

Players signed indicated in Bold

Round Overall Player Position School State Bonus
1 2 Dustin Ackley OF North Carolina N.C. $6,000,000
Ackley played at a 1-A high school against modest competition, and while area scouts knew about him they couldn't pull the trigger three years ago. Their loss was North Carolina's gain, as Ackley is in the midst of his third consecutive .400 season. The 2007 BA Freshman of the Year, Ackley has the best pure swing and pure bat in the '09 draft class, and maybe the best this decade. He's also a 70 runner (on the 20-80 scale) underway and should be a top-of-the-order, base-stealing threat in pro ball. Ackley has a disciplined approach and makes hitting look easy thanks to his advanced athleticism. He's balanced at the plate and has amazing hand-eye coordination, getting the barrel of the bat to the hitting zone quickly and leaving it there as long as possible. After hitting 17 home runs in his first two seasons, he was tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 16, and scouts grade his raw power as average, if not a tick above. His lone below-average tool is his arm, which he injured as a prep senior while pitching. He has played primarily first base at North Carolina and had Tommy John surgery at the end of the summer of 2008. He made two starts in the outfield in mid-May, and most scouts project him as a future center fielder and potential plus defender. He's a solid-average defender at first base if he winds up there. Scouts struggle to come up with comparisons because he's such a unique player. If he becomes a batting champion and premium leadoff man as a pro, he'll become a player others are compared to.
1 27 Nick Franklin SS Lake Brantley HS, Altamonte Springs, Fla. Fla. $1,280,000
An Auburn recruit, Franklin is the latest in a line of Lake Brantley High baseball stars that has included Jason Varitek, Felipe Lopez and brothers Rickie and Jemile Weeks. Franklin, who helped lead last year's team to a state 6-A title, has surpassed them all in terms of performance, hitting 10 homers this spring to lead Lake Brantley back to the state playoffs. A switch-hitter, Franklin has shown bat speed to catch up to good fastballs and uses the whole field. Scouts don't expect him to hit for even average power with wood, but he should have enough strength in his wiry frame to keep pitchers honest. Scouts have made comparisons to players such as Aaron Hill or Lopez offensively, though he has less power. He's an above-average runner with fast-twitch athleticism and the ability to stay at shortstop as a pro, which makes him likely to go out in the first two rounds. Franklin has infield actions, solid footwork that needs polish and more than enough arm strength for shortstop, as it grades above-average. Franklin's makeup resembles Hill's more than Lopez's, which is a strong positive.
1s 33 Steve Baron C Ferguson HS, Miami Fla. $980,000
Baron is the centerpiece of Duke's recruiting efforts and has strong academic motivation. He always was considered a defense-first catcher, and that's still the case, but he has made significant progress offensively, pushing him toward the front of a crowded, competitive Florida prep catcher crop. Defensively, Baron stands out, with some scouts rating his arm a 70 on the 20-80 scale. He's an above-average defender with a smooth transfer and good footwork. Baron made strides tightening up his body and getting in better shape from fall to the spring, and scouts noticed. He has holes in his swing and doesn't project to hit for a high average, but a .250-hitting Baron could hit 15 home runs. At worst, Baron's defense should get him to the majors, but to buy him out of Duke, a team will have to believe Baron has enough offensive upside to become a regular.
2 51 Rich Poythress 1B Georgia Ga. $694,800
After helping Georgia to the College World Series last season, Poythress has had an impressive follow-up season, hitting consistently as the anchor of Georgia's lineup. He recovered from a torn ACL in the fall of his freshman year to make 38 starts and hit .282. He's hit close to .390 the last two seasons with 36 home runs. Poythress does it more with strength, a polished approach and leverage in his swing rather than pure bat speed. He's more of a hitter rather than a slugger, lacking the raw power that Bulldogs shortstop Gordon Beckham showed. He ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in batting, slugging, on-base percentage and home runs while having a stellar junior season. His swing is geared to use the middle of the field, and he could hit for more power if he learns to pull for power better. Some scouts wonder if he'll hit for power against better velocity and consider him a solid hitter but more of a second-division player rather than a difference-maker. Poythress gave third base a whirl last summer in the Cape Cod League and in the fall but fits better defensively at first base, where his soft hands are an asset.
3 82 Kyle Seager 2B North Carolina N.C. $436,500
A three-year starter for North Carolina, Seager is an area scout favorite, not to mention a player opposing coaches respect immensely. National evaluators have a harder time pegging him because he doesn't fit a neat profile. His best tool is his bat. He has a smooth, balanced swing and makes consistent contact with gap power. He ranked third in the nation in 2008 with 30 doubles and was on a similar pace in 2009. He has a patient approach but doesn't project to hit for much home run power because of his modest bat speed and flat swing plane. While he's a fringy runner, he's a fine baserunner. Seager played second base for his first two seasons and moved to third this year, where he has played good defense. Featuring an average arm and impressive agility, he's an average defender at third, if not a tick above. Scouts who like him see a Bill Mueller type who doesn't fit the profile but grinds out at-bats and outs in the field. His detractors see him as a safe pick with low upside and a future reserve or utility player.
4 113 James Jones OF Long Island N.Y. $267,300
After a standout fall, Jones entered the season as a potential top-two-rounds pick as a lefthander, but he struggled mightily in the Northeast Conference, going 1-9, 7.40. He still earned all-conference honors as an outfielder/first baseman, batting .364/.453/.618 with nine homers, 32 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 23 tries. Most scouts still prefer Jones as a pitcher, but some consider him a third- to fourth-round talent as a corner outfielder. A gifted athlete with a lanky 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame, Jones garners physical comparisons to Mike Cameron and Adam Jones. He has quick hands and projects to hit for power down the road, and he shows good pitch recognition and plate discipline. He also has good instincts in the outfield. Jones' athleticism also makes him intriguing as a pitcher, despite his poor numbers. Multiple scouts have said Jones has one of the quickest arms they have ever seen, and everyone agrees that his arm action is exceptionally clean and loose, though his mechanics need plenty of work, as he tends to overstride, causing his stuff to flatten out. Jones ran his fastball up to 94-95 in the fall but pitched mostly in the 88-93 range this spring, usually sitting around 91. He throws a curveball and a slider, and both rate as below-average pitches, though he flashes an average breaking ball every once in a while. The consensus is that he'd be better off scrapping the curveball and concentrating on developing the slider. Jones tends to slow down his delivery on his changeup, but he does have some feel for the pitch. Scouts unanimously laud Jones for his makeup; he works hard both on and off the field and is widely regarded as a great person. Few players in this draft are as intriguing as Jones, but he's very much a boom-or-bust prospect. He figures to be drafted in the third to fifth round, more likely as a pitcher.
5 143 Tyler Blandford RHP Oklahoma State Okla. $325,000
Blandford easily had the best stuff and worst control on a deep Oklahoma State staff that underachieved this season as the Cowboys couldn't even qualify for the Big 12 tournament. He's similar to Garrett Richards of archrival Oklahoma, with a 6-foot-2, 215-pound build, power stuff and little idea how to locate it. His 93-95 mph fastball and his hard slider are both swing-and-miss pitches when they're close enough to the strike zone. He can reach 97 with his fastball, though it's fairly straight. The bite on is slider is inconsistent, and he's working on a changeup but must command his heater better to set it up. Blandford's control has gotten worse in each of his three seasons at Oklahoma State. His best outing of the year was a two-hitter against Oklahoma and Richards in which Blandford struck out a career-high 12 batters--and required 166 pitches to get 25 outs. On stuff alone, he wouldn't last past the second round. He'll probably last at least two rounds longer, and he profiles better as a reliever than as a starter in pro ball.
6 173 Shaver Hansen 3B Baylor Texas $150,000
Texas colleges are rife with professional second-base prospects, either players who currently man the position (Texas A&M's Brodie Greene, Rice's Brock Holt) or who figure to move there from shortstop (Hansen, Dallas Baptist's Ryan Goins). Hansen is the best of the group because he has the most polished bat. After hitting nine homers in his first two seasons, he exploded for 17 this season, a school record for shortstops. He takes a big swing and has sacrificed some strike-zone discipline for power. He did hit a solid .273 with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer. A 6-foot, 185-pound switch-hitter, he gets good leverage in his swing from both sides of the plate. Hansen is a below-average runner with a fringy arm, which is why he'll move off shortstop once he turns pro. His instincts make him an effective baserunner and defender. He profiles as an offensive second baseman or utilityman, and he has shown his versatility by starting for the Bears at second base as a freshman and third base as a sophomore.
7 203 Brian Moran LHP North Carolina N.C. $140,000
Moran, a lanky, deceptive 6-foot-3, 185-pound lefty, has been the key to North Carolina's bullpen the last two years. He leaves hitters at a loss with a funky delivery and command of an 86-88 mph fastball that has good movement. Moran, the nephew of 1985 No. 1 overall pick (and Carolina alum) B.J. Surhoff, has proved durable. His secondary stuff is below-average, and his lack of a consistent breaking ball makes it difficult to see him in the lefty relief role in a big league bullpen.
8 233 Jimmy Gillheeney LHP North Carolina State N.C. $140,000
Gilheeney worked as the Wolfpack's Friday starter this season after closing in 2008. Gilheeney has plenty of polish and throws his fastball, plus changeup and breaking balls in any count, and locates them all. Teams that saw his fastball in the upper 80s will be more inclined to buy into his great feel for pitching than those that saw his 84-86 mph games. Fellow Wolfpack lefty John Lambert had a big game against North Carolina with plenty of scouts in attendance, striking out 10 but walking nine. He also showed an average fastball and slider and power pitcher's approach to go with his 6-foot-7 frame. His delivery tends to get mechanical, making it tough for him to repeat his delivery.
9 263 Trevor Coleman C Missouri Mo. $133,000
Catcher Trevor Coleman had a chance to go in the first three rounds after an all-star summer in the Cape Cod League, but he slumped offensively and defensively this spring. The 6-foot-1, 211-pounder is a switch-hitter with the strength to do some damage at the plate, but he doesn't put the barrel on the ball consistently and hit just .260 with six homers as a junior. Coleman's catch-and-throw skills weren't as sharp as usual this spring. He has caught past and projected first-rounders Max Scherzer (in workouts before he went to independent baseball), Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson, and has the tools to be at least a solid defender. He missed 12 games with ankle and hand injuries but returned in time for NCAA regionals.
10 293 Vinnie Catricala 3B Hawaii Hawaii $90,000
Hawaii's best position prospect is junior third baseman Vinnie Catricala, who has shown an ability to make contact since coming to Hawaii as a freshman out of high school in California, where he was a 50th-round pick of the Indians in 2006. Catricala didn't play last summer, hitting the weight room instead and adding strength to his 6-foot-3 frame. This spring he has shown power to all fields, hitting 13 home runs after he hit just seven in his freshman and sophomore years combined. He has a balanced swing and can catch up to good velocity and hard breaking balls, but struggles when a soft-tosser is on the mound. He's just adequate defensively and a move to a corner outfield position may be in his future.
11 323 Tim Morris 1B St. John's N.Y.
First baseman Tim Morris began his collegiate career at Clemson, where he was just 1-for-17 as a freshman in 2007 before transferring to St. John's. After a quiet sophomore year, he broke out last summer in the Atlantic Collegiate League, where he ranked as the No. 4 prospect. He carried that momentum over to this spring, batting .415/.492/.677 with 12 homers and 62 RBIs (all team bests). Despite his power surge and his professional build (6-foot-3, 220 pounds), many scouts aren't sold on Morris' raw power. He does have a good feel for hitting from the left side, and he's a solid defensive first baseman with an average arm, but he might not have the power to be a big league regular at the position.
12 353 Andrew Carraway RHP Virginia Va.
The Cavaliers' top prospect for this year is righthander Andrew Carraway, who shut down a strong UC Irvine club to clinch Virginia's regional victory. He threw seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out three, and improved to 7-1, 4.30 on the season and may have boosted his draft stock. His arsenal isn't overwhelming, but his pitchability and command make everything play up. His fastball sits in the mid-80s and can touch the low 90s. His curveball flashes sharp break and sits in the low 70s, and he also shows a changeup and slider. He should be a quality senior sign.
13 383 Matt Cerione OF Georgia Ga.
Bulldogs outfielder Matt Cerione has tremendous energy and plus tools, physically matching up well with Florida's Matt den Dekker (though he's a bit behind den Dekker across the board in raw tools). The problem with Cerione's energy is that it often is aimed in the wrong direction, and he sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him. Georgia coach Dave Perno benched him in regionals and criticized him publicly for showy play rather than playing hard. A bigger issue for scouts is Cerione's bat. He is an average to plus runner and defender, but he hit just .248 in SEC play, has a big swing and lacks a mature approach at the plate. He may be drafted high for his tools, or he may not be drafted as a snub for his attitude.
14 413 Adam Nelubowich 3B Vauxhall Academy, Edmonton Alberta
Another player who drew late interest after a good showing for a Canadian junior team playing against professional players in Florida is lefthanded-hitting outfielder Adam Nelubowich. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder showed he can handle good velocity consistently with a wood bat. He's still growing into his power potential. With a frame that compares to fellow Canadian Michael Saunders, Nelubowich has room to fill out and add about 15 pounds of muscle.
15 443 Blake Keitzman LHP Western Oregon Ore.
16 473 Tillman Pugh OF Gateway (Ariz.) CC Ariz.
17 503 Joe Terry 2B Cerritos (Calif.) CC Calif.
18 533 Anthony Vasquez LHP Southern California Calif.
19 563 Eric Thomas RHP Bethune-Cookman Fla.
20 593 John Hesketh LHP New Mexico N.M.
John Hesketh is an undersized lefthander with fringy stuff and should be a later-round senior sign. The Canadian has been drafted twice before--in the 42nd round by the Blue Jays out of high school in 2004 and in the 38th round by the Rockies out of Vernon (Texas) JC in 2006. Hesketh helped himself out in his final start by going toe-to-toe with San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg in the Mountain West tournament.
21 623 Daniel Cooper RHP Southern California Calif.
22 653 Drew Hayes RHP Vanderbilt Tenn.
Sturdy, 6-foot-1 righty Drew Hayes has a bigger raw arm and runs his fastball up to 95 at times, usually sitting in the low 90s. A prep quarterback of some note, he's a solid athlete whose father Glenn coached baseball at Bethel (Ind.). He's a middle-relief profile with a modest changeup who was ill-suited to starting, but struggles by the likes of sophomore-eligible righty Chase Reid and senior righty Nick Christiani left the Commodores looking for answers in the rotation.
23 683 David Rollins LHP San Jacinto (Texas) JC Texas
24 713 Carlton Tanabe C Pearl City (Hawaii) HS Hawaii
Pearl City catcher Carlton Tanabe is a 6-foot, 190-pound catcher for Pearl City (Hawaii) HS. The solid defender has a strong arm, but needs to get stronger and work on his approach at the plate. He'll have a chance to do both with a full ride to Yavapai (Ariz.) JC next season.
25 743 Brandon Josselyn RHP Yale Conn.
Yale senior righthander Brandon Josselyn went 5-3, 4.29 to win Ivy League pitcher of the year honors. A physical 6-foot-3, 200-pound strike-thrower, Josselyn commands a lively 88-92 mph fastball down in the strike zone, and he mixes in an occasional slider and changeup.
26 773 Chris Sorce RHP Troy Ala.
Righthander Chris Sorce was Troy's closer and is a 6-foot righty who touches 93 mph and pitches at 90-91, but he isn't likely to go out higher than the 15th round because of his fringy secondary stuff (slider, changeup).
27 803 Austin Hudson RHP Central Florida Fla.
28 833 Regan Flaherty 1B Deering HS, Portland, Maine Maine
Regan Flaherty is following his older brother Ryan to Vanderbilt. He's got some projection but is raw in all phases and also seems certain to head to school.
29 863 Brandon Haveman OF Purdue Ind.
30 893 Brandon Bantz C Dallas Baptist Texas
31 923 Clint Dempster LHP Mississippi Gulf Coast JC Miss.
Dickerson's competition as the top juco player in the state comes from Mississippi Gulf Coast duo Drew Granier and Clint Dempster, who also were high school teammates. Dempster probably will go higher despite his similarly short frame, with a better curveball with bite and a bit more power to go with an 88-92 mph fastball. He's energetic and probably needs to move to the bullpen in pro ball. Dempster is signed to Nicholls State.
32 953 Ben Whitmore LHP Oregon Ore.
Ducks lefthander Bennett Whitmore also has a pro body at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but hasn't shown consistent velocity or command. He lost confidence in his stuff and tried to overthrow, though could still get popped in the latter rounds, as he was by the Red Sox last year coming out of Fresno (Calif.) CC.
33 983 Hawkins Gebbers 2B Biola (Calif.) Calif.
34 1013 Scott Griggs RHP San Ramon Valley HS, Danville, Calif. Calif.
A veteran of elite showcases such as the Aflac Classic and the Area Code Games, Griggs has long been familiar to area scouts in Northern California. A 6-foot-2 righthander, he has been inconsistent with his command this year, but his raw stuff is still impressive. Griggs' fastball tops out at 95 mph, sitting in the low 90s, and he spins off a excellent curveball. Some scouts don't think Griggs' control is good enough for him to go straight to pro ball and expect him to follow through on his commitment to UCLA. Because of that Griggs is considered a tough sign and could join the Bruins unless he goes in the first two or three rounds.
35 1043 Eric Valdez RHP Indiana State Ind.
36 1073 John Housey RHP Miami Fla.
37 1103 Chris Kessinger RHP Nebraska-Omaha Neb.
38 1133 Matt Nohelty OF Minnesota Minn.
39 1163 Greg Waddell OF Florida International Fla.
40 1193 Jorden Merry RHP Washington Wash.
Senior righthander Jorden Merry was a 14th-round pick by the White Sox last year, but opted to return to school. It looked like a bad move when he lost his spot in the weekend rotation and ended up with a 6.08 ERA.
41 1223 Kyle Witten RHP Cal State Fullerton Calif.
Witten opened the season in the rotation but quickly lost his sport, winding up 4-3, 6.14 entering regionals. Drafted twice previously, Witten can touch the low 90s with his fastball, but he struggles with control of his four-seamer and secondary pitches, which include a split-finger pitch.
42 1253 Steve Hagen 3B Eastern Oklahoma State JC Okla.
43 1283 Cameron Perkins OF Southport HS, Indianapolis Ind.
44 1313 Mark Angelo OF East Stroudsburg (Pa.) Pa.
45 1343 Kevin Mailloux 2B Canisus N.Y.
46 1373 Clay Cederquist 1B Fowler HS, Fresno Calif.
47 1403 David Holman RHP Hutchinson (Kan.) CC Kan.
48 1433 Sean Nolin LHP San Jacinto (Texas) JC Texas
49 1463 Dane Phillips C Central Heights HS, Nacogdoches, Texas Texas
Max Muncy and Dane Phillips are gifted hitters who would be more attractive to pro clubs if scouts believed they could catch. Scouts give Phillips high marks for his lefthanded bat, athleticism and work ethic, but they're still skeptical that he can catch. He has enough arm strength but has struggled to handle quality arms such as former high school teammate Trey Haley (an Indians second-round pick in 2008) and select squad teammate Matthew Purke (a projected first-rounder this June). Six-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Phillips has solid speed and could move to the outfield if catching doesn't work out. He has committed to Oklahoma State and is believed to want first- or sandwich-round money to sign.
50 1493 Evan Sharpley 3B Notre Dame Ind.