Seattle Mariners 2025 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: OF Aiden Taurek (13) is a selectively aggressive hitter who attacks in-zone pitches at a high clip. He pairs that aggression with strong contact ability, including an 85% overall contact rate last spring with Saint Mary’s and an 83% rate in a strong pro debut. He’s a career .321 hitter in two seasons with Saint Mary’s, and in 27 games with Low-A Modesto, Taurek hit .336/.395/.418. 

Best Power Hitter: OF Korbyn Dickerson (5) made a significant transformation during the 2025 spring season with Indiana and showed shockingly high exit velocities, including a 93 mph average and 110 mph 90th percentile EV. His feel for the barrel and remaining physical projection give him intriguing power upside. He homered 19 times during the season with Indiana.

Fastest Runner: SS Nick Becker (2) is a plus runner. He clocked a 6.65 second 60-yard dash at the 2024 East Coast Pro and should be a valuable addition on the bases. 

Best Defensive Player: North Carolina C Luke Stevenson (1S) battled with Coastal Carolina backstop Caden Bodine as the top defensive catcher in the class. He has plus defensive upside at the position thanks to great physical tools and the exact mentality needed for the position. He receives well, blocks well and has an above-average arm that should help control the running game. 

Best Fastball: RHP Lucas Kelly (6) has a big fastball from a sidearm slot. He averaged 95-96 mph this spring with Arizona State and has been up to 99. He uses the pitch at a heavy 80% usage rate, and it’s both a swing-and-miss offering and one he’s able to establish in the zone consistently for strikes. 

Best Secondary Pitch: LHP Kade Anderson (1) has an elite ability to spin the baseball. He went from throwing one of the more impressive curveballs in the country a year ago to adding a mid-80s slider that jumped from a 2% usage rate in 2024 to being his go-to secondary. Both his mid-80s slider and upper-70s curveball are high-spin pitches that have plus potential.

Best Pro Debut: Stevenson (1S) played 22 games with Low-A Modesto and hit .280/.460/.400 with six extra-base hits and a 23% walk rate that was one of the better marks among draft debuts with a significant amount of playing time. 

Best Athlete: Becker (2) is a solid athlete who runs well, has a solid swing and does a little bit of everything around the field. He has the tools to be a multi-positional defender if necessary but should get a long leash at shortstop in pro ball. His older brother, Eric, is one of the top prospects in the 2026 draft class. 

Most Intriguing Background: RHP Griffin Hugus (3) had one of the most impressive transformations of any pitcher in the 2025 draft class. After a pair of modest seasons with Cincinnati, he transferred to Miami where he took a huge leap in his strike-throwing. His 13.6% 2024 walk rate dropped to 8.8% in 2025, and he got much more consistent with his release point. He also separated his arsenal into a clear four-pitch mix that helped him rack up 95 strikeouts in 93 innings. 

Closest To The Majors: Anderson (1) has the sort of polish and pure stuff that could allow him to follow the extremely rapid path to the majors that many recent first-round collegians have walked in recent years. It would be unsurprising to see him pitch in the bigs as soon as late 2026.

Best 11+ Round Pick (Or UDFA): Dallas Baptist C Grant Jay (12) ranked as the No. 128 prospect in the class, but the Mariners managed to sign him for $150,000 in the 12th round. He’ll need to improve behind the plate, but he has impressive raw power and a big arm.