The Seattle Mariners Have Had the No. 3 Pick in the MLB Draft Before, Who Have They Taken?

The M's will have a chance to alter their franchise on Sunday night, and they've been in this position before.

Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners will have a chance to change the course of their franchise on Sunday night when they pick third in the MLB Draft.

On Saturday, we brought you a list of ever player ever taken No. 3 in the draft, and the Mariners themselves have had the No. 3 pick four times before.

The Seattle #Mariners have the No. 3 pick in the MLB Draft tomorrow. So what should we expect from that selection?

Here's a history of every player taken No. 3 since 1965. A very mixed bag indeed.https://t.co/LC9CQcVWUo#TridentsUp

— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) July 12, 2025

Here's a look at who they've selected in that spot:

Roger Salkeld, 1989

The right-handed pitcher from the California high school ranks ended up spending parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Mariners and Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately, he didn't end up forming a dynamic duo with Randy Johnson, as he made just 16 total appearances in Seattle between 1993 and 1994. He went 2-5 with a 6.26 ERA in Seattle.

Jose Cruz Jr., 1995

The switch-hitting outfielder out of Rice made his debut in 1997. and instantly looked like a star in the making. He hit 12 home runs in 49 games for the Mariners that season, but the M's traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline for relievers Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric. He played parts of 12 seasons with the M's, Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox. He had 122 career home runs.

Jeff Clement, 2005

One of the bigger whiffs for the M's in the draft of the 2000s, Clement spent parts of four years in the big leagues. He played just 152 career games with the Mariners and Pirates, and only saw action in 75 games for Seattle. A lifetime .218 hitter, the Mariners traded him to Pittsburgh in a deal that brought Ian Snell and Jack Wilson to Seattle.

Mike Zunino, 2012

Zunino had an 11-year career with the M's, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians. He made an All-Star Game with Tampa Bay in 2021, but he spent six years with the Mariners, hitting 95 homers in that time. An excellent defensive catcher who struggled to make contact, he was a career .199 hitter. He hit 25 homers in 2017.

The MLB Draft begins at 3 p.m. PT on Sunday and can be watched on MLB Network or ESPN.

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