After leaning heavily on the tried-and-true formula of college pitching over the first half-decade of Jerry Dipoto’s tenure, the Mariners have been more willing to play some jazz in recent years, using some higher-round picks on the riskier demographic of prep players. In 2022, they gave an overslot deal to Ashton or “AJ” Izzi, a cold-weather prep arm from Oswego, IL, using their third-round pick on the 6’3” righty.
Izzi has so far followed what’s become the industry standard for developing young pitchers: he didn’t pitch in his draft year, instead spending time working out at the complex in Arizona and learning the ropes of professional baseball from a distance.