The 2011 MLB Draft starts on Monday at 7 P.M. ET
The Seattle Mariners and Jack Zduerencik are prepared in their draft war room and it's safe to say that the 1st round/1st pick for Seattle is going to be a very easy decision. The prizes of this draft are clearly Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole, which the Mariners will have the opportunity to draft after Pittsburgh selects first.
My personal choice would be Anthony Rendon. The Mariners need another hitter in this lineup as they have ranked in the bottom of the league in batting average and offense in general for too many years. Rendon is a 3B who possesses great plate discipline and smooth mechanics in his swing. He was considered a lock for the #1 pick until Gerrit Cole raised eyebrows and Rendon's medical concerns had risen. The concern with Rendon is his shoulder and the power numbers for him have dropped (26 HR in 2010, 6 HR in 2011) leading to even more speculation. He also broke his right ankle but that isn't something top pick teams are worried too much about. Rendon is widely considered a remarkable hitter in college career and has high potential for professional ball. He reminds me of Dustin Ackley who we should see shortly at 2B. Rendon is another contact hitter with some added power compared to Ackley.
If Pittsburgh decided to take the bat instead of pitching, it leaves Gerrit Cole for the Mariners. As much as I would like to see Rendon become a Mariner, this wouldn't be a bad pick. The Mariners rotation right now is Hernandez, Vargas, Fister, Bedard, Pineda. Bedard, as good as he has been, is not under contract next year and Vargas/Fister are good but there's definitely room for improvement. Cole's experience at the college level and talent have scouts saying he will need little time in the minor leagues and will be a fast riser. It's too early to tell exactly how good Cole will be at the next level but imagine three aces in one rotation.
Two other players stand out to me in this draft as well. Bubba Starling and Gerrit Cole's teammate Trevor Bauer. Trevor Bauer has Tim Lincecum type numbers at the college level and could very well be a steal in this draft. Bubba Starling is another hitter with high potential but whoever drafts him will need to pay him $6 million or he will go back to school and play football as well as baseball next season at college.
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