SEATTLE MARINERS

Mariners MLB Draft Preview: Who they could take in first round

Jul 12, 2024, 8:41 AM | Updated: Jul 15, 2024, 8:25 am

Seattle Mariners MLB Draft...

A general view of the 2023 MLB Draft stage as the Seattle Mariners make a pick. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

(Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

One baseball expert has the Seattle Mariners taking a very rare type of player in the opening round of Sunday’s MLB Draft.

Insider: Deep, young farm system gives Mariners ammo for deadline

In his most recent mock draft two weeks ago, MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis projected the Mariners to select 21-year-old ambidextrous pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje with the No. 15 overall pick.

Yes, that’s right. He can pitch with both arms.

Switch pitchers have been an extreme rarity in MLB history. The most well-known example was Pat Venditte, who made 61 relief appearances in the majors between 2015 and 2020. Callis said Cijntje is a much more highly regarded prospect than Venditte ever was, but that Cijntje might ultimately just focus on pitching right-handed.

“He’s got better stuff than Venditte from both sides and he’s legit,” Callis said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Extra Innings. “… He gets compared to (two-time All-Star) Marcus Stroman right-handed. I mean, he’s got that kind of stuff. And lefty, he’s more of kind of a low (arm) slot reliever. I think he’d be better off focusing on pitching right-handed and improving that stuff. He can get left-handers out from the right side. It’s a great story and it’s legit stuff from both sides, but he’s just a significantly better pitcher right-handed.”

After a rough freshman season at Mississippi State, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Cijntje bounced  back with a strong sophomore campaign this spring. He posted a 3.67 ERA with 113 strikeouts and 30 walks in 90 2/3 innings, while logging a 1.10 WHIP and .211 opponent batting average.

As a right-hander, Cijntje sports a 94-96 mph fastball that touches 98 and a good mid-80s slider, according to MLB Pipeline. As a left-hander, he leans on a low-80s breaking ball from his low arm slot.

“It’s very hard to switch-pitch, because when you’re a starting pitcher, you pitch every fifth day, but it’s not like you don’t do anything else,” Callis said. “You’re preparing the other four days physically and mentally to pitch. And if you’re trying to do both, you’re taking away from that. … Instead of getting better on one side, you’re taking time to develop both, which is interesting but kind of detracts.”

Other potential Seattle Mariners draft targets

The Mariners currently have a wealth of highly regarded position-player prospects in their farm system, with six such players currently ranked in Baseball America’s Top 100. Due to their collection of position-player talent, Callis thinks Seattle will look for pitching with its first-round pick.

Callis thinks Cijntje will be the top pitching prospect still on the board when the Mariners draft at No. 15, but during his appearance on Extra Innings, he mentioned three other pitchers who potentially could still be available when Seattle makes its pick. He also mentioned two hitters in that mid-first-round range, if the Mariners decide to go that route. Here’s a look at those other three pitchers and two hitters:

LHP Cam Caminiti (Saguaro H.S. in Scottsdale, Ariz., age 17)

Callis has Caminiti going to the San Francisco Giants at No. 13 overall, just two spots ahead of the Mariners. Caminiti, the cousin of former MVP third baseman Ken Caminiti, is a two-way player who could be a hitting prospect as an outfielder. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has a 93-95 mph fastball that touches 98, according to MLB.com.

RHP Trey Yesavage (East Carolina, age 20)

Callis projects Yesavage to the Chicago Cubs at No. 14, one spot ahead of the Mariners. As a junior at East Carolina this spring, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Yesavage was one of the best college pitchers in the country. He posted a 2.03 ERA with 145 strikeouts and 32 walks in 93.1 innings, while recording a 0.87 WHIP and .154 opponent batting average. He ranked second in Division I in opponent batting average, fourth in ERA and fifth in strikeouts. He sports a four-pitch mix, highlighted by a slider/cutter, according to MLB.com.

RHP Ryan Sloan (York H.S. in Elmhurst, Ill., age 18)

Callis has Sloan going to the Philadelphia Phillies at No. 27. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder was the Gatorade Illinois high school state player of the year and sports a 93-96 mph fastball that touches 99, according to MLB.com. His changeup also is advanced for a high school pitcher.

3B/OF Seaver King (Wake Forest, age 21)

Callis projects King to the Milwaukee Brewers at No. 17. As a junior at Wake Forest this spring, King batted .308/.377/.577 with 16 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 60 games. He also excelled in the Cape Cod League last summer, hitting .424 in 59 at-bats. Prior to Wake Forest, he starred for two seasons at Division II Wingate (N.C.), where he compiled a 47-game hitting streak that was the third-longest in D-II history. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is a hit-over-power type who excels at putting the ball in play, according to MLB.com. He also is a versatile defender with 65-grade speed. “I think he’d be in their mix if their pitching all got blown up,” Callis said.

OF Slade Caldwell (Valley View H.S. in Jonesboro, Ark., age 18)
Callis has Caldwell going to the Cleveland Guardians at No. 36. Caldwell, a two-time Gatorade Arkansas high school state player of the year, is an advanced hitter who makes good line-drive contact to all fields, according to MLB.com. The 5-foot-9, 182-pounder also covers a lot of ground in center field with his 65-grade speed. “He’s one of these dynamo types who can really run and play center field, and he has some surprising pop,” Callis said. “I think they really like Slade Caldwell, although I think they’re in a position where 15 might be a little bit too high to take him.”

Listen to the full conversation with MLB Pipeline senior writer Jim Callis at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Extra Innings from 7-9 p.m. on Mariners off days throughout the MLB season.

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