The Seattle Mariners had a very successful week at the 2011 MLB draft. Several highly talented players were added to the mix, some of them with the potential to make an impact in the organization quite quickly.
The draft haul began with Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen as the second overall selection. He is a highly talented left-handed pitcher that could be pitching for the Mariners sooner than any of the other prospects in the draft. I reported on how an ESPN writer felt he could get called up as soon as next June. It was a safe choice, and hopefully it is one that puts a great pitcher between Michael Pineda(notes) and Felix Hernandez(notes) in the rotation soon.
Seattle followed up the Hultzen pick by selecting Clemson shortstop Bradley Miller in the second round. He was an All-American at the position, and also seems like a player that could have a high ceiling. Miller is definitely a very talented player who has a lot of speed, and has plus-level talent in the field.
The most interesting selection could be Kevin Cron with their third round pick. He is a spectacular power-hitting catcher from Mountain Pointe High School that projects to be a first baseman in the major leagues. He is a huge guy at 6'5" and 245 pounds, and hit .560 with 27 home runs and 65 RBIs this past season. Those are amazing statistics for a high school season, and he did all while pitching to an 8-1 record and a 2.26 ERA. Cron seems like he could be a superb prospect down the line.
Another great pick was John Hicks in the fourth round. Hicks was actually the catcher for Hultzen at Virginia, and could turn into a great hitter in the najor leagues. ESPN has him ranked as one of the best college catchers coming into the draft, and if he could progress quickly with Hultzen, they could be a great combination later in their careers. With another pick later in the draft, Seattle also selected Virginia third baseman Steven Proscia, possibly giving the roster three teammates that could work through the minor leagues together.
Seattle certainly added a lot of depth during the draft, including pitchers Carter Capps from Monte Olive College, Carson Smith from Texas State, and Cameron Hobson from Dayton. Combined, Seattle may have had one of the better drafts, especially if some of these players get placed on the fast-track.