The Mariners, under Jerry Dipoto, have not been extremely active in the Rule 5 draft. This off-season, that changed. The Mariners selected a little known first baseman from the Yankees, former Princeton grad, Mike Ford.
Not surprisingly, Ford is a player Dipoto covets. In addition to his advanced age in the high minors, Ford has an excellent approach at the plate. In 126 games across AA and AAA, Ford slashed .270/.404/.471. Ford also slugged 20 homers and 24 doubles.
Perhaps most impressive, Ford walked 94 times, while only striking out 72 times. That’s right, a 94:72 K/BB ratio.