Unlike other sports, in the MLB Draft, you don’t draft for need. But there’s one area where the Mariners, and their fans, are deeply needy: championships.
The Mariners didn’t take LSU’s Kade Anderson third overall just because he’s a College World Series Champion. They took him because he is both an outstanding person and an outstanding pitcher, a projected first-overall pick pre-draft. That happens to go hand in hand with his accomplishments: Most Outstanding Player of the CWS; Baseball America’s National Pitcher of the Year; First Team All-American; First Team All-SEC; national leader in strikeouts; Honor Roll; and yes, College World Series Champion.