Seattle Mariners Have Monster Draft With Selections Of Kyle Lewis And Joe Rizzo

The Seattle Mariners have had historically bad draft results in the last 10 years. Dustin Ackley, Mike Zunino and D.J. Peterson highlight some of the top picks from recent years. I won’t even put you through the anguish of the names that were passed on, but let’s just say the Mariners should have Corey Seager playing next to Kyle Seager right now.

This year should be a whole different story with Jerry Dipoto and company arguably getting the steal of the draft with the No. 11 overall pick in Kyle Lewis. A standout from Mercer College, Lewis was thought to be a high first-round pick, at times even thought to be the No. 1 overall. The director of amateur scouting for the Mariners, Tom McNamara, realistically thought he would go somewhere in the 3-8 range, but hoped for the best. As the No. 3 on the Mariners’ draft board, to get Lewis at the 11th pick was a surprise to say the least.

Lewis’ junior year at Mercer was successful, with a batting average of .395 with 11 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 72 RBIs in 223 at-bats. Some have mentioned that the competition he faced at a school like Mercer helped lead to those numbers, but he proved doubters wrong by hitting for .300 with seven home runs in the Cape Cod League, a showcase for the top college players in the country.

The lack of outfield depth beyond this year is alarming for the Mariners, so an outfield pick like Lewis makes perfect sense. Lewis was also a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing basketball and baseball. At 6-foot-4 and around 200 pounds, he isn’t exactly your typical baseball player either. He is a center fielder at the moment, but I can see him moving to a corner spot and the Mariners allowing Boog Powell to make the center his.

The Mariners’ second-round pick was a good selection as well, although not as highly praised as the pick of Lewis. Joe Rizzo is known for his bat and at only 18 years old, he is beyond most at his age. That being said, he has been playing as a third baseman without the athletic ability for the position. Not to mention, Seager has a long contract guaranteeing him the spot for the foreseeable future.

Although not blessed with speed or fielding ability, his knowledge of the game amazes most. It was being talked about by MLB analysts that if a transition to catcher was possible, Rizzo’s knowledge of the game could be better utilized while keeping his bat in the game. That might be a bit of a stretch, but he is only 18 so the time to learn is there.

Either way, with the selections of Lewis and Rizzo, the Mariners scored big points with the fans and the critics. It was just another sign that the new regime needs to be trusted, there is a plan and sometimes that plan is adapting. I’m sure the Mariners never thought they could get Lewis, but they didn’t hesitant when they could. They did their homework and it paid off. Hopefully, Lewis and Rizzo both become big names for the Mariners in the not too distant future.