Minor League Baseball

Here's a Look Back at 1st-Round Picks Made by Seattle Mariners in Jerry Dipoto Era

The Mariners will be looking to continue a trend of solid top picks made during the organization's current regime.
Teren Kowatsch|
Seattle Mariners infielder Colt Emerson hits a home run during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs on March 8 at Sloan Park.
Seattle Mariners infielder Colt Emerson hits a home run during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs on March 8 at Sloan Park. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners will have the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, which will begin on Sunday, and there will several elite prospects to pick from.

It will be 10th draft for the current front office regime. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto was hired as the team's general manager Sept. 28, 2015, and was promoted to his current role Sept. 1, 2021.

Sunday will be the highest pick Dipoto has had since he joined Seattle's front office, and the organization has been general successful selecting in the first round. Here's an overview of the picks made during the Dipoto era:

2016: Kyle Lewis, Outfielder, No. 11 overall

Lewis had a solid beginning to his career with the Mariners, but an unfortunate end. Lewis made his major league debut in 2019 and won the American League Rookie of The Year in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. In 58 games in 2020, he scored 37 times and hit three doubles and 11 home runs with 28 RBIs. He slashed .262/.364/.437 with an .801 OPS.

His production slowly decreased and Seattle traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Nov. 17, 2022. He played 16 games for the Diamondbacks in 2023. He was non-tendered at the end of the season and hasn't signed with a team since. Injuries unfortunately played a huge role in the decline of his career.

2017: Evan White, First baseman, No. 17 overall

White was never able to string together consistent offensive production for Seattle, but was a solid defender when he debuted in 2020. He slashed just .176/.252/.346 with a .598 OPS in 54 games in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, and was named the American League's Gold Glove winner at first base for that season.

White played 30 games with the Mariners in 2021 and was traded to the Atlanta Braves on Dec. 3, 2023. He was dealt by the Braves to the Los Angeles Angels five days later. He's still in Los Angeles' system, but hasn't played in the major leagues for the team.

Injuries also have derailed his career, unfortunately.

2018: Logan Gilbert, RHP, No. 14 overall

Gilbert is the current ace of Seattle's pitching staff. He made his major league debut in 2021 and made his first All-Star Game in 2024. He reached the 200/200 club (200 strikeouts, 200 innings pitched) for the first time that year. He finished 2024 with a 3.23 ERA with 220 strikeouts in 208.2 innings pitched across 33 starts.

Gilbert had a stint on the injured list this season, but has kept his strikeout numbers up. He has a 3.88 ERA this year and has fanned 79 batters in 55.2 innings across 11 starts.

2019: George Kirby, RHP, No. 20 overall

Kirby is another member of the team's current starting rotation. He made his major league debut 2022 and was named an All-Star in 2023.

Kirby, like Gilbert, had a stint on the IL this season. He enters Saturday with a 4.22 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched across nine starts in 2025.

2020: Emerson Hancock, RHP, No. 6 overall

Hancock, who was this regime's highest draft pick before this year, made his major league debut in 2023 and has been the team's "No. 6 starter" for the majority of the last two seasons.

Hancock has a career-high in starts this season due to the aforementioned injuries on the team's rotation. He has a 5.47 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 77.1 innings pitched across 15 starts. He was optioned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on July 2.

2021: Harry Ford, Catcher, No. 12 overall

Ford is one of the Mariners' many top 100 prospects. He's ranked No. 56 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 and No. 72 on Baseball America's top 100.

Ford will compete in his third MLB All-Star Futures Game at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday. He was a member of Great Britain's 2023 World Baseball Classic team.

Ford has been blocked from making his major league debut due to Seattle having the best catcher in the game, Cal Raleigh.

Ford has scored 43 times in 69 games with Tacoma this season. He's hit 14 doubles and nine homers with 50 RBIs and has slashed .292/.409/.446 with an .855 OPS.

2022: Cole Young, Second baseman, No. 21 overall.

Young is another one of the Mariners' top 100 prospects (No. 34 MLB Pipeline, No. 36 Baseball America).

Young made his major league debut May 31 and has been the team's starting second baseman since. He's scored 10 runs in 33 games, and has hit four doubles and a home run with 10 RBIs. He's slashed .243/.286/.306 with a .592 OPS.

2023: Colt Emerson, Shortstop, No. 22 overall

Emerson is the team's top prospect this season (No. 18 MLB Pipeline, No. 15 Baseball America) and was one of three high school hitters drafted by the Mariners in the first round in 2023.

Emerson has scored 49 times in 73 games with the High-A Everett AquaSox this season.

Emerson has 12 doubles, four triples and eight home runs with 39 RBIs this season and has slashed .272/.370/.428 with a .798 OPS.

2023: Jonny Farmelo, Outfieder, No. 29 overall

Farmelo, the second high schooler drafted by the M's in 2023 and another top 100 prospect (No. 66 MLB Pipeline, No. 40 Baseball America), has been limited to just 15 games with Everett this season due to recovering from a torn left ACL at the beginning of the year and because of a stress reaction in his rib, which he's currently recovering from.

Farmelo has scored 12 times and has hit two doubles, a triple and five homers with 12 RBIs. He's slashed .288/.348/.610 with a .958 OPS.

2023: Tai Peete, Shortstop/outfielder, No. 30 overall

Peete was the third and final first-round pick for Seattle in 2023. He was drafted as a shortstop but has since transitioned to a center fielder. In 79 games with the AquaSox this season, he's scored 37 runs and hit 13 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs with 41 RBIs to go with a slash line of .224/.277/.406 and a .683 OPS.

2024: Jurrangelo Cijntje, SP, No. 15 overall

Cijntje was Seattle's first-round pick from a season ago and quickly drew attention due to being an ambidextrous pitcher. He's the No. 79 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline and No. 82 accordig to Baseball America.

He's posted a 4.95 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched across 16 appearnces (13 starts) with Everett this season.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

Teren Kowatsch is a staff writer for ''Minor League Baseball on SI'' and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He has been a writer for “On SI’’ for two years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. You can follow him on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch

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