Hultzen???

[SeattleCoug]

In fact, I can't remember the last time the Mariners drafted someone in the first round where the reaction was "I have no idea what the Mariners are doing picking that guy".

I remember specifically thinking that when the Bavasi era drafted Josh Fields in 2008 in the middle of the 1st round I want to say around pick 20 or so. Never the less I can say with full confidence that I hated that pick from the start, just because drafting a closer in the 1st round is ludacris.

If there's anything about the draft that I wish they'd do away with, it's the phrase "most major league ready". .

I agree with that. Very rarely does someone come up before two years. The fact that Zunino made it after 1 year was extrememly rare, mainly because our catching depth was horrible.

 

[wazzu31]

Hindsight is always 20-20 I guess, in reality the MLB draft is a crap shoot. Its much less of a sure thing then the NFL or NBA draft. Hultzen was one of the top rated guys going into that draft and he was progressing pretty well in the minors until his injury. Plus with the way shoulder injuries are popping up its hard for me to say its anything but bad luck at this point.

In a way it is but generally you always want to take a guy with a super high ceiling and when Jack comes out and says he doesn't have a high ceiling but is the most major league ready prospect it will piss people off regardless.

 

[NWinAZ]

I don't remember anyone who covers baseball saying that Hultzen was a reach when we drafted him. In fact, I can't remember the last time the Mariners drafted someone in the first round where the reaction was "I have no idea what the Mariners are doing picking that guy". With Hultzen in particular, I remember him being thought of as one of those guys who was coveted by enough teams that, had the M's passed on him, he wouldn't have lasted much longer on the board.

If there's anything about the draft that I wish they'd do away with, it's the phrase "most major league ready". It's a phrase that is pretty vague and it puts a lot of pressure on the guy who gets that label to be ready to contribute in the majors almost immediately and if he struggles to adjust initially, gets moved to a position he's not familiar with in an attempt to get him up sooner and struggles or gets hurt before he makes it to the majors, suddenly he becomes a bust.

I was watching the draft that year on MLB TV and they all thought it was a reach pick. They didn't think he was a 2nd rounder or anything, but they said he didn't have the stuff to be an ACE or probably not even a #2 and that is what you need from a guy picked where he was. I know a lot of baseball people questioned Rendon's health, but he was considered the best player in college baseball at that time.

And if you can't remember the last time the M's drafted a guy people questioned, go look through their draft history and you will find plenty going all the way back to a guy named Al Chambers. More recently it was Steve Barron who they drafted late in the first round because he told them he would sign for under slot. They drafted him and he changed his mind so M's had to pay him more when they didn't want him there at that spot since he was more of a 3rd round guy. They have their good share of reaches.

 

[NWinAZ]

You know who might have been the most surprised by M's picking Hultzen #2? Hultzen.

Mariners draft LHP Hultzen No. 2 | MLB.com

 

[cezero]

it's actually remarkable that 2 of the 3 "big three" made it to the bigs and had any type of success.

it's a rarity.

that's just how drafting works.

 

[dude82]

To be fair, I don't follow the MLB draft nearly as closely as I do the NFL draft, so that might explain why I haven't heard anyone talk about Hultzen being a reach. The people that I have heard talking about it didn't think he was, but obviously there were more opinions on it than just those people.

 

[NWinAZ]

I guess my use of the word 'reach' is a bit exaggerated. I think he was more of a surprise at #2 and not as much a 'reach'. Most thought he was a good college pitcher who would have a good pro career like a Capuano type, off the top of my head. Top 10 pick for sure, but not the high ceiling you want from a #2 overall. Safe is the word used more than awed I guess.

I guess I am a little bitter because he wasn't my first choice at that spot..or second or third. I did like the reaction from him on the video. Not sure if he was surprised by being picked that early or disappointed by who picked him?