The MLB Draft will be in July instead of June and could be as short as 5-rounds. As asinine as MLB’s plan is, it is a new reality the Mariners and GM Jerry Dipoto, as well as scouting director Scott Hunter, have to adapt to.
The new reality is, with fewer high round picks, they’ll need to nail their first two picks to maximize the value they get out of the draft. They still hold the 6th overall pick in the draft and will have plenty of candidates to choose from, but with the possibility, prep arms may go to college increasing, it seems likely that a college player is a virtual lock for Seattle at this spot.