In the MLB Draft, the big action usually happens in the first few rounds, but plenty of useful players are found in those later rounds, specifically 5-10. Bryan Woo, a popular comparison during draft analysis on Day 1, was a sixth-rounder. To dig a little (lot) deeper, Ty France, beloved former Mariner who has enjoyed a lengthy big-league career, was famously drafted in the 34th round, a round that no longer exists in the modern-day draft. There are baseball player-shaped cathedrals everywhere for those with
eyes to see.
The Mariners pick at #162 in Round 5 (162), and at 191 in Round 6 (191), and then every 30 picks after that (221, 251, 281, 311, 341, 371, and so on).
There are still some names available from our Day 1 picks: just a couple college players remain after the run on them early, with just John’s pick, the fiery Tre Phelps, the third baseman from Georgia, and Kate’s solid-but-stalwart pick RHP Tate McKee from Georgia Tech remaining. Several prep players remain from our initial choices, however, including two of Kate’s favorites in RHP Hudson DeVaughan and SS Will Plunkett, as the market for prep pitchers, particularly, continues to be slow to develop.
Thanks to some moderate savings on Day 1, the Mariners have about $300K-ish extra to spend while handing out signing bonuses on Day 2. With full understanding that for many of us $300K is a half-decades’ worth of salary, in MLB Draft world it’s a (very nice, Luxardo) cherry on top of a signing bonus rather than life-changing money. To put it bluntly: If those prep players haven’t been chosen by now, it feels likelier and likelier they’ll be heading to campus, especially in the age of NIL.
With that in mind, here are a few deep and very deep sleepers to keep in mind for Day 2 of the draft:
Sleepers: Names to keep in mind for rounds 5 – 10:
Connor Griffin, RHP, Binghamton
We are looking at clay here, and the 6’5” Griffin, whose fastball hangs out at 95 and can kiss triple digits, has a lot of it – and the attendant command issues. To me, he profiles as a reliever, with a fastball-sider combo, but has to work on landing both for strikes. But at this part of the draft you’re betting on upside, and for a college arm, Griffin has a ton of it. Big bonus alert: In interviews, he’s clearly smart, thoughtful, and well-spoken; feels Mariner-y to me. -Kate
Blake Morningstar, RHP, Wake Forest
Morningstar has yucky looking numbers but comes out of the pitching factory that produced Mariners prospect Teddy McGraw, aka Curveball Jesus (although he’s recently transferred to Miami). 6-foot-4 and a listed 230 pounds, Morningstar has all kinds of moldable-clay-attributes, from his size to his biting curve to a fastball that’s touched 97. He rounds that out with a starter’s arsenal of pitches, giving the Mariners PD lots to work with. -Kate
Justin Leguernic, LHP, Clemson
A lefty reliever may not seem super exciting, but Leguernic could be a quick mover and give the M’s some lefty depth in the not-so-distant future that has some compelling upside. A lower-slot guy that can rush his heater up to 97, Leguernic pairs it with a good slider and a budding changeup that all generate good results and show promise. He’s a big guy (6’4 210lb) that has started for the Tigers in the past, and perhaps he could transition back to that role as a pro, but if not, he could be a legitimately nasty reliever with a bit of tinkering. – Max
Lucas Moore, OF, Louisville
Moore had a really rough year after entering the season with first-round hype, but there’s still a lot to like in his profile that makes him a nice buy low candidate in these upcoming middle rounds. Moore’s once elite bat-to-ball skill regressed considerably this season and thus caused his fall off, but if he’s able to recapture that ability and get back to his 2025 rate, you’re looking at a massive steal. It’s a plus glove in centerfield, demonic base stealing abilities (he averaged 45 bags a year the prior two years), and an incredibly disciplined approach that draws more walks than strikeouts. It’s a worthwhile bet to take with little downside at this stage of the draft. – Max
Jorvorskie Lane, C/OF, Grapevine HS (TX)
Grapevine is a suburb of Dallas where Lane has grown into his professional pedigree. His father, Jorvorskie Sr., was a NFL fullback for several years. Lane has some of that compact muscle, combined with speed, which suits his multipositional possibilities behind the dish or ranging in the outfield. Lane is an Arkansas commit, but with Seattle’s rather successful work in developing and patiently cultivating Harry Ford, the Mariners might be a more appealing location to start a pro career. Lane has great pop and whips the bat through the zone at an extremely impressive rate. –John
Sleep so Deep call em Van Winkle: Names to keep in mind for rounds 10 – 20:
Griffin Graves, LHP, Auburn
We’re in reliever territory now, and Graves is a good one despite being just 5’10” with a lower arm slot and a riding fastball that’s been up to 97 at times; think lefty Paul Sewald. It’s the kind of fast-moving college relief profile that is the bread and butter of these later rounds. -Kate
Haiden Leffew, LHP, Texas
Another lefty reliever here. Leffew has big time stuff, pairing his carry fastball with a gyro slider, changeup, and curveball, with the slider being the clear cut best option outside of the dominant heater. His over the top delivery induces utterly massive carry on his fastball, consistently averaging north of 20 IVB in game. There’s enough here to get excited as a later round guy. – Max
Kyle McDaniel, SS, Utah Tech
McDaniel runs some of the highest contact rates in the country and essentially never strikes out, walking considerably more often than he whiffs as a three year starter. He does not have much impact in the bat, but as a solid stolen base threat that should be getting on base in bunches, he’s a fun guy to take a shot on in the later rounds. The innate feel to hit is too good to pass up. – Max
Austin Fawley, C, Ole Miss
A strong defensive catcher who has a service mindset for his pitchers (that dinging sound you hear is the Mariner Alarm), Fawley also has a lot of big power in his bat – but a lot of whiff to go along with that. It’s still a pretty good profile for a later-round college catcher. -Kate
Gabe Camacho, 1B, UC San Diego
Seattle’s system is relatively thin on infielders with pop from the corners. Camacho is a small school collegian with plenty of lefty power and a very Mariners penchant for high-OBP through getting hit by pitches (see: Ty France, Randy Arozarena, Michael Arroyo). He’s a fringier player due to his contact rate being more in the middle, but he’s the type of dart that can land in the later rounds. –John
