3 Prospects Mariners Could Take With No. 3 Pick in 2025 MLB Draft
During the Winter Meetings last December, the Mariners miraculously landed the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft despite having the second-lowest odds (0.53 percent) of any team in the lottery. It’s the highest selection the organization has had in the draft since 2012, when it took catcher Mike Zunino out of Florida at the same exact spot, and is by far the highest president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter, and crew have picked in their time in Seattle.
How the Mariners make use of it is still a major question mark. With no consensus “best player” atop draft boards, a wide range of names have been speculated for the first few picks in the months leading up to draft day, which is July 13. The crowd of possibilities is starting dissipate, however, so let’s take a look at three names the M’s could call when their choice rolls around.
LHP Kade Anderson, LSU
Between Anderson, Florida State’s Jamie Arnold, and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle, if the Mariners wind up taking a college left-handed pitcher at No. 3, it sounds like it’s going to be Anderson. Set to start Game 1 of the College World Series Finals on Saturday, the 6-foot-2 southpaw has worked his way into the conversation as the best pitching prospect in the draft despite having undergone Tommy John surgery in 2022. The big question is: if Anderson goes No. 2 to the Angels, which seems likely, is one of Arnold or Doyle next in line on Seattle’s board?
SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State
It’s no secret the Mariners have done extensive work on Arquette, who’s widely been considered the best college bat in this year’s class for quite some time now. Born and raised in Hawaii, the 21-year old has played all of his college ball in the Pacific Northwest, starting out at the University of Washington before transferring to Oregon State, so the connection to Seattle is obvious. It seems the Nationals are locked in on a prep player at No. 1 and the Angels want to come away with a pitcher, likely a college arm, at No. 2, so the probability of Arquette being available at No. 3 appears high. Arquette’s advanced skillset and his ability to play multiple infield spots will likely get him to the major-league level in a hurry, which could be especially attractive to a Mariners team looking to compete now but unwilling to spend significant dollars to add talent.
SS/3B Joseph “JoJo” Parker, Purvis HS (MS)
For the majority of the draft circuit, there’s been little-to-no talk about the Mariners and some of the top prep bats in the class like Ethan Holliday and Eli Willits. Parker has been the lone exception as of late, with Joe Doyle of Future Stars Series reporting that Seattle “likes” the Purvis, Mississippi product while locking him in at No. 3 in a recent mock draft. No one is more connected with what the Mariners are doing on the draft side of things than Joe, so when he says something that definitive, you have to make note of it. Parker may very well be the best pure hitter in the draft and the Mariners have used several early picks on prep bats in recent years and seen great results from almost all of them so far, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if this is the shot they decide to take. Plus, Parker would likely come in well under slot value, giving Seattle even more wiggle room in its draft-best bonus pool to essentially go on a shopping spree in later rounds.
