Best draft picks in Seattle Mariners history

The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever.

These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country.

Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the best draft picks nationally were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections.

There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers.

Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are "slightly more likely" than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally.

To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft picks in Seattle Mariners history using data from Baseball Reference. The players were ranked using career wins above replacement, so not one recent choice was named. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024.

#25. Matt Thornton
- Draft: 22nd overall pick in 1998
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 748
- Career stats: 36 wins, 3.41 earned run average, 1.28 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 13.4

#24. James Paxton
- Draft: 132nd overall pick in 2010
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 166
- Career stats: 69 wins, 3.67 earned run average, 1.23 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 14.6

#23. Chris Taylor
- Draft: 161st overall pick in 2012
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 1,012
- Career stats: 104 home runs, .250 batting average, .752 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 16.1

#22. Dave Burba
- Draft: 33rd overall pick in 1987
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 511
- Career stats: 115 wins, 4.49 earned run average, 1.43 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.5

#21. Gil Meche
- Draft: 22nd overall pick in 1996
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 258
- Career stats: 84 wins, 4.49 earned run average, 1.42 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.8

#20. Phil Bradley
- Draft: 53rd overall pick in 1981
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,022
- Career stats: 78 home runs, .286 batting average, .791 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 18.6

#18. Doug Fister (tie)
- Draft: 201st overall pick in 2006
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 242
- Career stats: 83 wins, 3.72 earned run average, 1.26 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 19.6

#18. José Cruz (tie)
- Draft: 3rd overall pick in 1995
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,388
- Career stats: 204 home runs, .247 batting average, .783 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 19.6

#17. Alvin Davis
- Draft: 138th overall pick in 1982
- Position: First baseman
- Games played: 1,206
- Career stats: 160 home runs, .280 batting average, .830 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 20.0

#16. Bill Swift
- Draft: 2nd overall pick in 1984
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 403
- Career stats: 94 wins, 3.95 earned run average, 1.37 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 20.7

#14. Raúl Ibañez (tie)
- Draft: 1006th overall pick in 1992
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 2,161
- Career stats: 305 home runs, .272 batting average, .801 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 20.9

#14. Bud Black (tie)
- Draft: 417th overall pick in 1979
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 398
- Career stats: 121 wins, 3.84 earned run average, 1.27 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 20.9

#13. Erik Hanson
- Draft: 36th overall pick in 1986
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 245
- Career stats: 89 wins, 4.15 earned run average, 1.36 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 22.1

#12. Bret Boone
- Draft: 134th overall pick in 1990
- Position: Second baseman
- Games played: 1,780
- Career stats: 252 home runs, .266 batting average, .767 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 22.8

#11. Jason Varitek
- Draft: 14th overall pick in 1994
- Position: Catcher
- Games played: 1,546
- Career stats: 193 home runs, .256 batting average, .776 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 24.2

#10. Dave Henderson
- Draft: 26th overall pick in 1977
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,538
- Career stats: 197 home runs, .258 batting average, .756 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 27.6

#9. Mike Moore
- Draft: 1st overall pick in 1981
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 450
- Career stats: 161 wins, 4.39 earned run average, 1.42 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 27.9

#8. Mike Hampton
- Draft: 161st overall pick in 1990
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 423
- Career stats: 148 wins, 4.06 earned run average, 1.44 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 28.2

#7. Tino Martinez
- Draft: 14th overall pick in 1988
- Position: First baseman
- Games played: 2,023
- Career stats: 339 home runs, .271 batting average, .815 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 29.0

#6. Adam Jones
- Draft: 37th overall pick in 2003
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 1,823
- Career stats: 282 home runs, .277 batting average, .771 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 32.6

#5. Derek Lowe
- Draft: 214th overall pick in 1991
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 681
- Career stats: 176 wins, 4.03 earned run average, 1.33 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 34.3

#4. Kyle Seager
- Draft: 82nd overall pick in 2009
- Position: Second baseman
- Games played: 1,480
- Career stats: 242 home runs, .251 batting average, .763 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 36.9

#3. Mark Langston
- Draft: 35th overall pick in 1981
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 457
- Career stats: 179 wins, 3.97 earned run average, 1.35 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 50.1

#2. Ken Griffey Jr.
- Draft: 1st overall pick in 1987
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 2,671
- Career stats: 630 home runs, .284 batting average, .907 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 83.8

#1. Alex Rodriguez
- Draft: 1st overall pick in 1993
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 2,784
- Career stats: 696 home runs, .295 batting average, .930 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 117.6

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 30 MLB teams.