This is one of the more mysterious drafts we’ve had in a while, with no real clear-cut top tier of prospects, a very deep prep class—always a tricky one to predict because of signing bonuses and college commitments—vs. a relatively shallow college class, and rumors abounding up to draft day about different routes teams might take. With our own Seattle Mariners, we’ve had to square what the Mariners brass has said about seeking athletic upside vs. the college bats to which they’ve consistently been linked at various outlets.
Now we have our answer, and it is a surprising one: the Mariners selected catcher Harry Ford, a Georgia high schooler, with the 12th overall pick.