List of Seattle Mariners first-round draft picks

Ken Girffey, Jr. was the first pick overall in the 1987 draft and a 13-time All-Star selection during his career.^[1]

The Seattle Mariners are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Seattle, Washington. They play in the American League West division. The Mariners have participated in 34 editions of MLB's annual June draft. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",^[2] the Rule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.^[2] In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.^[3] Since the franchise entered the league as an expansion team in 1977, they have selected 41 players in the first-round. The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the 1976 expansion draft through which the Mariners filled their roster.

Of the 41 players selected in the first round by the Mariners, 17 have been pitchers, the most of any position; of whom 12 were right-handed, and 5 were left-handed. They have also drafted eight shortstops, seven outfielders, six catchers, two first basemen and a single third baseman.^[4] Seattle has never drafted a second baseman in the first round.^[4] The Mariners have drafted 21 players out of high school, and 20 out of college.^[4] The Mariners have drafted ten players from high schools or colleges in California, four players from Florida, and a single player from their home state of Washington.^[4] One of the Mariners' 2007 picks—Canadian Phillippe Aumont—is the only selection from outside the United States.

Two of the Mariners' first-round selections—Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr.—are members of the 500 home run club.^[5] Rodriguez has won a World Series title with the New York Yankees, four Hank Aaron Awards, three American League MVP awards, and has been named to thirteen All-Star teams.^[6] The Mariners have held the first overall pick four times, most recently in 1993.^[4] The Mariners have made eight selections in the supplemental round of the draft and eleven compensatory picks over their history. These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,^[3][7][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.^[8] The Mariners have failed to sign two of their picks, Scott Burrell in 1989 and John Mayberry, Jr. in 2002. For failing to sign these picks, the team received the 38rd pick in the 1990 draft and the 37th pick in the 2003 draft, respectively.^[9][10]

Key

Picks

Tino Martinez (1988) won four World Series rings during his career.^[11]

Ron Villone (1992) is the Mariners' only selection from Massachusetts.

Alex Rodriguez (1993) is a three-time American League Most Valuable Player.

Jason Varitek (1994) has played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox.^[12]

Gil Meche (1996) led the American League in games started as a pitcher in 2007 and 2008.^[13]

See also

• Seattle Mariners minor league players

Footnotes

• ^V Free agents are evaluated by the Elias Sports Bureau and rated "Type A", "Type B", or not compensation-eligible. If a team offers arbitration to a player but that player refuses and subsequently signs with another team, the original team may receive additional draft picks. If a "Type A" free agent leaves in this way his previous team receives a supplemental pick and a compensation pick from the team with which he signs. If a "Type B" free agent leaves in this way his previous team receives only a supplemental pick.^[8]
• ^a The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1983 as compensation for losing free agent Floyd Bannister.^[20]
• ^b The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1985 as compensation for losing free agent Steve Henderson.^[22]
• ^c The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1989 as compensation for losing free agent Mike Moore.^[26]
• ^d The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1990 as compensation for not signing first-round draft pick Scott Burrell.^[9]
• ^e The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 1999 as compensation for losing free agent Mike Timlin.^[35]
• ^f The Mariners lost their first-round pick in 2000 to the New York Mets as compensation for signing free agent John Olerud.^[36]
• ^g The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2001 as compensation for losing free agent Alex Rodriguez.^[37]
• ^h The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2003 as compensation for not signing first-round draft pick John Mayberry, Jr.^[10]
• ⁱ The Mariners lost their first-round pick in 2004 to the Minnesota Twins as compensation for signing free agent Eddie Guardado.^[39]
• ^j The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2007 as compensation for losing free agent Gil Meche.^[42]
• ^k The Mariners received a compensatory first-round pick in 2009 from the Philadelphia Phillies as compensation for free agent Raúl Ibáñez.^[44]
• ^l The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2009 as compensation for losing free agent Raúl Ibáñez.^[44]
• ^m The Mariners gained a supplemental first-round pick in 2010 as compensation for losing free agent Adrián Beltré.^[45]

References

General references

• "MLB First Round Draft Picks". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. http://espn.go.com/mlb/draft/history/_/team/sea. Retrieved August 7, 2010. 
• "Seattle Mariners 1st Round Picks in the MLB June Amateur Draft". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. http://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?query_type=franch_round&team_ID=SEA&draft_round=1&draft_type=junreg. Retrieved August 7, 2010. 

In-text citations

External links

• Draft results at The Baseball Cube and The Official Website of the Seattle Mariners.