Seattle, WA
Ranking the Seattle Mariners’ draft classes from Dipoto era
The Seattle Mariners will be on the clock soon.
The first day of the 2025 MLB Draft kicks off at 3 p.m. Sunday with the first three rounds taking place. The Mariners will make four selections that day, including the No. 3 overall pick. The draft concludes Monday with rounds 4 through 20.
Seattle Mariners Draft Profile: RHP Seth Hernandez would be swinging for fences
Under president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter, the Mariners have developed a reputation as one of baseball’s best draft and development teams. A look back at each class beginning when Dipoto was hired as general manager and Hunter as director of amateur scouting in 2016 shows plenty of hits from the organization.
Which class in the Dipoto-Hunter era is the best? We’re going to take a look back at each class and attempt to rank them from best to worst. Below is a look at the picks from the first five rounds of each draft, other notable picks and reasoning for each ranking.
Seattle Mariners draft class rankings
1. 2018
• First round (No. 14): Logan Gilbert, RHP
• Second round (No. 54): Josh Stowers, CF
• Third round (No. 90): Cal Raleigh, C
• Fourth round (No. 118): Michael Plassmeyer, LHP
• Fifth round (No. 148): Nolan Hoffman, RHP
• 33rd round (No. 988): Penn Murfee, RHP
Overview: A draft that featured a pair of All-Stars who have shown they are capable of being legitimate Cy Young and MVP candidates has to come in at No. 1 here. Logan Gilbert has emerged as the ace of a very talented starting rotation and one of baseball’s best pitchers. Cal Raleigh is currently in a two-man race for AL MVP and is baseball’s best catcher. In fact, the 16.1 WAR Raleigh has produced to this point in his career is more than the combined 13.3 WAR produced by all six catchers picked in front of him.
Seattle also got a stellar season-plus out of reliever Penn Murfee, a 33rd-round pick, before he had Tommy John surgery and was eventually released in 2023. Two other pitchers the Mariners picked – 21st-rounder Grant Anderson and 36th-rounder Justin Wrobleski (who didn’t sign) – have also reached the big leagues with other teams.
2. 2021
• First round (No. 12): Harry Ford, C
• Second round (No. 48): Edwin Arroyo, SS
• Third round (No. 83): Michael Morales, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 113): Bryce Miller, RHP
• Fifth round (No. 144): Andy Thomas, C
• Sixth round (No. 174): Bryan Woo, RHP
• 20th round (No. 594): Troy Taylor, RHP (did not sign)
Overview: The Mariners started to see this fruits of this draft class early with both Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo becoming fixtures in the rotation after debuting in 2023. Elbow issues have put a damper on Miller’s 2025 campaign, but the right-hander already has a sub-3.00 ERA season under his belt. Woo, who had a 6.36 ERA in college, just made his first All-Star team and looks like the biggest steal of the draft.
Harry Ford, a top 100 prospect who was just selected to his third Futures Game, could end up making this draft class look even better. The pick of Edwin Arroyo in the second round is also notable since he was second-best prospect moved in the trade that brought starting pitcher Luis Castillo to Seattle in 2022, a move that helped end the Mariners’ 21-year playoff drought.
3. 2023
• First round (No. 22): Colt Emerson, SS
• First round (No. 29): Jonny Farmelo, OF
• First round (No. 30): Tai Peete, SS
• Second round (No. 57): Ben Williamson, 3B
• Third round (No. 92): Teddy McGraw, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 124): Aidan Smith, OF
• Fifth round (No. 160): Brock Rodden, SS
• 11th round (No. 337): Brandyn Garcia, LHP
• 12th round (No. 367): Logan Evans, RHP
Overview: For as good as the drafts above were, the 2023 draft class has a chance to be best on this list once everyone has played out their big league careers. Colt Emerson and Jonny Farmelo have become two of the most exciting prospects in Seattle’s talent-rich farm system and appear to be important pieces for the future of the franchise. Ben Williamson and 12th-round pick Logan Evans have already reached the majors and made key contributions this season to a Mariners team that’s in the hunt for an AL wild playoff berth.
Brandyn Garcia, an 11th-round pick, has reached Triple-A and could crack the roster as a reliever at some point this season. And there’s still plenty of untapped potential with Tai Peete, who is in High-A at just 19 years old. Oh yeah, the M’s also used fourth-rounder Aidan Smith and sixth-rounder Brody Hopkins to acquire Randy Arozarena last July. Pretty good stuff.
4. 2019
• First round (No. 20): George Kirby, RHP
• Second round (No. 59): Brandon Williamson, LHP
• Second round (No. 76): Isaiah Campbell, RHP
• Third round (No. 76): Levi Stoudt, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 126): Tim Elliot, RHP
• Fifth round (No. 156): Austin Shenton, 3B
• 20th round (No. 606): Cade Marlowe, OF
Overview: The Mariners went heavy on pitching early in this draft and hit in a major way by taking George Kirby in the first round. Kirby was the first of Seattle’s core of homegrown starting pitchers to make an All-Star game and has been one of baseball’s best strike-throwers since he debuted in 2022.
Most of the rest of the notable picks in this draft were used as trade chips. Brandon Williamson, Austin Shenton and Levi Stoudt were each used to acquire players who helped the Mariners end their playoff drought. Williamson was the headlining prospect sent to the Cincinnati Reds in the deal for Eugenio Suárez and Jesse Winker in 2022. Shenton wasone of two players sent to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Diego Castillo in 2021. And Stoudt was one of four players moved to land Luis Castillo. Seattle also got some value out of 20th-rounder Cade Marlowe in 2023.
5. 2022
• First round (No. 21): Cole Young, SS
• Second round (No. 58): Tyler Locklear, 3B
• Second round (No. 74): Walter Ford, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 126): Ashton Izzi, RHP
• Fifth round (No. 156): Reid VanScoter, LHP
• 12th round (No. 366): Troy Taylor, RHP
Overview: The Mariners’ 2022 draft class very much falls into the category of being too early to make any definitive statements on. Much of the value of this draft could end up falling on the shoulders of Cole Young. Now at second base in the majors, Young quickly became one of Seattle’s top prospects. Considering the fact that he is one of just two high schoolers taken in the 2022 first round to reach the big leagues (the other is No. 1 pick Jackson Holliday), he’s lived up to that billing so far.
The rest of the class is still very much up in the air. Troy Taylor seemed like the latest late-round pitching gem uncovered by Seattle during a surprising debut season in 2024. However, he struggled in the majors this season and has also had troubles in Triple-A. Tyler Locklear was briefly a top 100 prospect and got a taste of the majors last season, but has yet to make an impact at the big league level. Second-rounder Walter Ford has also lost much of the prospect hype he had after being taken out of high school. He ended 2023 as Seattle’s eighth-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but is no longer in the organization’s top 30.
6. 2024
• First round (No. 15): Jurrangelo Cijntje, switch-handed pitcher
• Second round (No. 55): Ryan Sloan, RHP
• Third round (No. 91): Hunter Cranton, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 121): Josh Caron, C
• Fifth round (No. 154): Charlie Beilenson, RHP
Overview: This is another class that’s far too early to judge, but the early returns on Seattle’s first two picks look promising. Switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was named to this year’s Futures Game and is a top 100 prospect ranked eighth in the Mariners’ system by Pipeline. With his unique ability to throw with both hands, there’s a lot of intriguing upside. Speaking of upside, there might be even more with Ryan Sloan. Sloan is putting together a solid season with Single-A Modesto at just 19 years old, and he’s also cracked Pipeline’s top 100 rankings.
7. 2016
• First round (No. 11): Kyle Lewis, OF
• Second round (No. 50): Joe Rizzo, 3B
• Third round (No. 87): Bryson Brigman, SS
• Fourth round (No. 117): Thomas Burrows, LHP
• Fifth round (No. 147): Donovan Walton, SS
• Seventh round (No. 207): Matt Festa, RHP
• 40th round (No. 1,197): Adley Rutschman, C (did not sign)
Overview: We’ve gotten to the territory of recent Mariners drafts that just weren’t very good. However, part of the reason this class comes in so low is some unfortunate injury luck. First-rounder Kyle Lewis looked like Seattle’s center fielder of the future after winning Rookie of the Year in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. As we all know now, Lewis would play just 54 games in a Mariners uniform after that season as he dealt with recurring knee issues and freak injuries like being concussed by an errant pitch. With that said, the 2.4 WAR Lewis produced as a Mariner is the most by anybody in this class.
One fun note is that Seattle took a high school catcher out of Oregon named Adley Rutschman in the 40th and final round. He didn’t sign, but it’s a good look on the scouting department that they took a future No. 1 overall selection nearly 1,200 picks into the draft.
8. 2020
• First round (No. 6): Emerson Hancock, RHP
• Second round (No. 43): Zach DeLoach, OF
• Second round (No. 64): Connor Phillips
• Third round (No. 78): Kaden Polcovich, 2B
• Fourth round (No. 107): Tyler Kennan, 3B
• Fifth round (No. 137): Taylor Dollard, RHP
Overview: The 2020 draft has to be graded on a curve. It was only five rounds and it came after the college season was cancelled by the COVID pandemic. However, it’s one that doesn’t look very good for the Mariners even with all that considered. First-rounder Emerson Hancock has shown some good signs of progress this year while helping an injury-riddled starting rotation, but names like future All-Stars Garrett Crochet and Pete Crow-Armstrong were still on the board with the sixth pick.
This class may look a bit better if it weren’t for an injury to fifth-rounder Taylor Dollard, though. Dollard reached Triple-A Tacoma by 2023, but a torn labrum forced him to miss most of the season and all of 2024. He recently made his return in June and is currently pitching in High-A.
9. 2017
• First round (No. 17): Evan White, 1B
• Second round (No. 55): Sam Carlson, RHP
• Third round (No. 93): Wyatt Mills, RHP
• Fourth round (No. 123): Seth Elledge, RHP
• Fifth round (No. 153): David Banuelos, C
• 11th round (No. 133): JP Sears, LHP
• 36th round (No. 1,083): Heston Kjerstad, CF (did not sign)
Overview: The best thing to come out of this class for the Mariners was that third-rounder Wyatt Mills was one of two players traded to get Carlos Santana from Kansas City in 2022. Outside of that, this was a rough draft. The most productive player Seattle picked never ended up playing for the team. Left-hander JP Sears, an 11th-round pick, has become a decent big league starter for the Athletics, but the Mariners traded him to the Yankees in a 2017 deal for reliever Nick Rumbelow, who had a 7.58 ERA in 19 innings with the Mariners.
Seattle does have a Gold Glove from this class, though. First-round pick Evan White won one at first base in 2020, but the University of Kentucky product never showed the ability to hit big league pitching, missed most of the next three seasons with injuries and was traded to Atlanta after 2023. This was also the second year in a row where the Mariners picked a future top-two pick by the Orioles in the later rounds. Heston Kjerstad, a 36th-rounder who didn’t sign, went on to be the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Two insiders name D-backs 1B Naylor as ideal Seattle Mariners trade target
• Seattle Mariners Draft Profile: The bigger Holliday brother, Ethan Holliday
• Insider drops All-Star closer’s name as Seattle Mariners trade target
• Seattle Mariners Draft Profile: Funky Florida State lefty Jamie Arnold
• Seattle Mariners’ draft prep at No. 3 tougher than expected
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
SEATTLE — With less than two weeks before Seattle hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee Chair Bob Kettle is escalating his criticism of Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision not to activate newly installed CCTV cameras in the Stadium District and suggesting she is violating established law.
In a sharply worded letter sent Monday, Kettle argues that the mayor’s decision to pause activation of the city’s Technology-Assisted Public Safety Pilot Program is inconsistent with city law and the ordinances approved by the Seattle City Council.
RELATED | Mayor Wilson hosts discussion on surveillance and security, takes questions from public
“I believe that she is not operating according to the ordinances, the law with respect to the stadium ordinances, and her duties under the charter,” Kettle said in an interview on Tuesday.
The dispute centers on 22 CCTV cameras that have already been installed in and around Seattle’s Stadium District but remain inactive as city leaders debate privacy concerns and the circumstances under which the system should be used.
Kettle said the approaching World Cup is what prompted him to send the letter.
“Basically, we’re less than two weeks out from the World Cup, and we’re not ready,” Kettle said. “We have capacity with these stadium cameras, they’re up, they’re installed, but they’re not turned on.”
In his letter, Kettle argues that the council already approved the surveillance technology through council-approved ordinances, specifically outlining the limited circumstances under which the program can be paused.
According to Kettle, those conditions include situations where the city is compelled to release camera data for civil immigration enforcement, gender-affirming care investigations, or reproductive healthcare matters, or when city leaders determine the technology is being used for those purposes.
RELATED | City leaders say Seattle ready for World Cup, despite concerns with surveillance, drones
“Neither condition has occurred that would merit a temporary program pause,” Kettle wrote.
The councilmember contends that the Seattle Municipal Code and the approved surveillance impact report provide no authority for the mayor to indefinitely delay the program’s implementation beyond those specified exceptions.
The mayor’s office has defended its position, saying activation decisions will be guided by public safety experts and intelligence assessments ahead of the World Cup.
“Mayor Wilson continues to consult public safety officials regarding circumstances that might warrant use of the expanded set of cameras during the FIFA World Cup,” the mayor’s office said in a previous statement. “We appreciate councilmembers’ perspectives, and those will be part of ongoing discussions.”
The previous statement continued:
“With regard to credible threats: Identifying a credible threat involves multiple experts from federal, state, and local agencies monitoring and assessing various streams of information. In collaboration with one another, they weigh incoming intelligence and jointly recommend whether to elevate security operations. Mayor Wilson’s decision whether to activate the Stadium District cameras will be informed by this group’s recommendation.”
The mayor’s office has been asked if there is a change in perspective given Kettle’s letter. In a new statement obtained by KOMO News on Tuesday, the mayor’s office said Wilson’s position remains “unchanged.”
“Per our legal review, we believe council has the authority to pause the use of adopted surveillance technology but cannot require its use,” the mayor’s office said in Tuesday’s statement. “The Mayor is ensuring that our use of surveillance technology is protective of civil rights, liberties, and privacy and provides sufficient data privacy safeguards. The Mayor has a duty to make sure our use of these technologies is responsible.”
Kettle argues that waiting for a specific threat before activating the cameras misunderstands modern security planning.
SEE ALSO | Seattle mayor’s verbal missteps prompt national and viral attention, leadership questions
“There are credible concerns,” Kettle said, citing worries about drones and other security issues surrounding a major international event.
He pointed to examples, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, arguing that public officials often do not receive advance warning before attacks occur.
“This idea that you’re going to get a credible threat warning is not right. It’s not the professional standard,” Kettle said. “The 22 cameras are installed, they’re ready to go, they just need to be turned on.”
Opponents of the camera expansion have raised concerns that footage could potentially be sought by federal immigration authorities or used in ways that conflict with Seattle’s sanctuary city policies.
Kettle dismissed those concerns, arguing that the council built extensive safeguards into the legislation governing the cameras.
“We don’t have facial recognition,” Kettle said, noting the city established restrictions and oversight measures as part of the technology program.
He also argued that federal agencies have their own surveillance capabilities and do not need Seattle’s camera network to conduct enforcement operations.
Kettle said he sought legal guidance before sending the letter and believes the mayor’s decision is inconsistent with the ordinances governing the program.
“I asked the question, if Mayor Harrell had to do all this in terms of ordinances, why is it that Mayor Wilson does not?” Kettle said. He said attorneys reviewing the issue identified concerns centered on the language governing when the program may be “paused.”
While Kettle stopped short of calling for legal action against the mayor, he said he wanted to publicly highlight what he views as a conflict between the administration’s actions and council-approved law.
“Her move related to the pause is not right, and essentially a violation,” Kettle said.
Kettle said Seattle is the only one of the 11 World Cup host cities that does not have its full camera system operational and warned that the city is running out of time.
“We have to take action now to get ourselves ready for the World Cup,” he said. “That is ensuring that we have all the pieces in place, and that we’re using the capacities that we have to their full ability.”
Kettle said he was scheduled to meet with members of the mayor’s team on Tuesday and hopes a resolution can be reached before the first World Cup matches arrive in Seattle.
Seattle, WA
Melinda French Gates is done ‘cheering on Seattle from the sidelines’ — she’s buying into the bet to bring the Sonics back | Fortune
Melinda French Gates, a billionaire philanthropist and businesswoman, will join the Seattle Kraken as a minority investor, pending NHL approval.
French Gates, 61, is the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. She and her $30 billion net worth, according to Forbes, join an ownership group headlined by majority owner and managing partner Samantha Holloway, as well as investors David Wright, Andy Jassy and longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
“As a longtime Seattle resident, it means a lot to me to have the chance to make this investment in our city and its future,” French Gates said in a statement. “I’m a big believer in the power of sports, and after many years of cheering on Seattle from the sidelines, I’m excited to have an even deeper connection to the Seattle sports community.”
French Gates has never previously had an ownership stake in a major professional sports franchise. She will do so at a time when the Kraken ownership group is positioning itself to own an NBA franchise should the NBA return to the Emerald City for the first time since the SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City nearly 20 years ago.
In March, the Kraken ownership group announced the creation of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, which serves as the umbrella brand of the organization to “oversee a growing portfolio of properties and fuel new opportunities.” At the time, Holloway announced that One Roof would pursue an NBA team in Seattle, should the league move forward with expansion.
Holloway also announced in March that the group had entered an agreement to purchase additional equity in Climate Pledge Arena from Oak View Group, and would make the organization the majority owner of the building. OVG has retained a minority stake.
French Gates, who grew up in Dallas and received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics, as well as an MBA from Duke, currently heads Pivotal, a group of organizations she founded to accelerate the pace of social progress for women and young people in the United States and around the world.
French Gates previously founded and co-chaired the Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy.
“I am excited to welcome Melinda to our ownership group,” Holloway said in a statement. “Melinda is an impressive business leader, philanthropist and importantly, a Seattle sports fan. We share many of the same values, including a deep commitment to Seattle and a belief in building organizations that create lasting impact.”
-
Connecticut2 minutes agoAfternoon forecast for June 3
-
Delaware9 minutes ago
FOX43 News
-
Florida12 minutes agoRainy stretch continues in South Florida
-
Georgia17 minutes agoPrices climb as Georgia gas tax break ends
-
Hawaii24 minutes agoBystander video shows damage after concrete falls at Ala Moana Center
-
Idaho27 minutes agoSecretary of State: Idaho’s rapid growth is reshaping state politics
-
Illinois32 minutes ago104th Illinois General Assembly passes bills for immigration, technology
-
Indiana39 minutes agoIndiana extends gas tax suspension: ‘Cheapest gas in the country’
