'Value' the word on Mariners' mind with Day 1 Draft picks

ATLANTA -- The Mariners assembled an impressive haul on Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday, setting themselves up formidably with potential stars of tomorrow that have the chance to reach the big leagues much sooner than many of their recent classes.

Seattle landed LSU left-hander Kade Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick, which the club secured in the Draft lottery in December despite having the second-lowest odds (0.53%) for the top overall selection among all teams in the field. Then the club had three additional picks before the dust settled on the first three rounds, with the remaining 17 rounds slated for Monday.

Here’s a breakdown of their Day 1 picks, with reaction from Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter:

Luke Stevenson, C
• Round: Competitive Balance Round A (No. 35 overall)
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: University of North Carolina
• Calling Card: With a high floor as one of the more advanced catchers in this year’s class, Stevenson won the starting job at UNC as a freshman, went on to hit 14 homers then played with the U.S. collegiate national team during the summer. He crushed 19 homers as a sophomore and helped the Tar Heels win their ninth ACC tournament title in program history.

Despite a powerful left-handed stroke, there are some questions about Stevenson’s overall hitting tool, as he had a .251 batting average and 24% strikeout rate this season. He’s really cleaned up his receiving and become a solid defender behind the plate. His arm stands out both for pure strength and accuracy.

• Organizational fit: This pick was fascinating in the context of what it could mean for Harry Ford, Seattle’s first-round pick in 2021. Ford has been raking at Triple-A Tacoma and nearly made his MLB debut last month when Mitch Garver had an injury scare. But with Cal Raleigh locked up to a six-year, $105 million extension, his path to playing time already looked limited, and now with Stevenson in the mix, Ford could be the name to watch with the July 31 Trade Deadline looming.
• Quote: “Obviously, we're in a pretty good place catching-wise, as an organization, especially with Cal and Harry, but when we look at that kind of value and knowing that with catching, you can never have enough of it.” -- Hunter on Stevenson

Nick Becker, SS
• Round: Second (No. 57 overall)
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)
• Calling Card: Already at 6-foot-4 and with more room to add muscle, Becker has good bat-to-ball skills and excellent hitting instincts, finding the barrel consistently and while making mid-at-bat adjustments. It’s easy to expect at least average power in the future as he gets stronger and learns to leverage his swing more, something he’s sure to do without sacrificing his hit tool.
• Organizational fit: The Mariners are confident that they will be able to pry him away from his commitment to the University of Virginia, though Hunter hinted that they’ll have to go over slot value to do so. And because he’s only 19 years old, he’ll need more Minor League seasoning over the next few years than Anderson and Stevenson.

• Quote: “I love that you’re kind of the controller of the field. You can control the game; not like a pitcher, but everything else on the defensive side. I kind of love showing my athleticism, getting to balls that are in the hole or up the middle. And it’s kind of where I’ve been playing my whole life.” -- Becker on playing shortstop, to MLB Network last month

Griffin Hugus, RHP
• Round: Third (No. 91 overall)
• School: University of Miami
• Calling Card: While Hugus may not blow anyone away with pure stuff, he has the chance to have a legitimate four-pitch mix as a starter. He typically sits around 92-93 mph with his fastball, topping out at 95-96 mph at times, but hitters don’t square it up. Right now, his mid-80s slider is his go-to pitch. He added a slower mid-70s curve in the Cape Cod League, where he shined enough for Miami to recruit him via the transfer portal after he began his college career at the University of Cincinnati.

• Organizational fit: In an effort to keep their bonus pool intact going into Day 2, the Mariners are expected to sign Hugus for under slot value, which aligns with him being taken well ahead of his standing as MLB Pipeline’s No. 169 prospect in this year’s class.
• Quote: “We had to get a little bit back on track, and we just looked for an opportunity with a player we thought had Major League value that we could obviously over-draft, take a round or two a little higher and still create a lot of value.” -- Hunter on the chance of signing Hugus under-slot