The Disastrous Danny Hultzen Pick

[johnfree63]

I started thinking about the Danny Hultzen pick after the recent promotion of Cleveland Indians prospect Francisco Lindor. If you remember back to the 2011 Draft, Lindor was being considered by the Mariners and in fact had a couple of workouts in Seattle at Safeco. Hultzen was eventually chosen because he was thought to be the most MLB ready. Since then Hultzen has made only 4 minor league starts since June 27th of 2013 and continues to have injury problems. Whats truly amazing though is the amount of players from that 1st round that have made it to the show. Actually, its actually easier to show which players haven't made it yet.

#5 Bubba Starling- High school outfielder who was thought at the time to take a few years to make it to MLB. Currently has a .779 in AA

#13 Brandon Nimmo- Brandon is considered the #60 prospect by MLB.com.

#15 Jed Bradley- Like Hultzen, injuries have kept him from moving up

#16 Chris Reed- Recently switch from starting to relief.

#20 Tyler Anderson- Like Hultzen, injuries have kept him from moving up

#21 Tyler Beede- Didn't sign in 2011. Drafted by SF in 2014. Already in AA

#23 Alex Meyer- Nationals traded him for Denard Span. MLB.com has him rated as the #24 prospect

#24 Taylor Guerrieri- Had tommy john back in 2013. Missed almost all of 2014

#25 Robert Stephenson- MLB.com has him as the #19 overall prospect

#30 Levi Michael- Ton of injuries.

#32 Jake Hager- Made it to AA at 21 years old. Injured and hasn't played this year

#33 Kevin Mathews- Terrible...that's really all that can be said

So, as you can see 20 of the 33 1st round picks have made it to the show and at least 5 of those that haven't made it have a pretty good shot. Basically, taking almost anyone besides Hultzen would have been a great pick.

 

[NWinAZ]

Mariner magic at its best. I also remember the draft where we passed on the best hitter in college because he had injury history (Rendon), but then next draft or so they take the best college hitter who had injury history (Ackley). Boy we screwed that one up.

 

[johnfree63]

Mariner magic at its best. I also remember the draft where we passed on the best hitter in college because he had injury history (Rendon), but then next draft or so they take the best college hitter who had injury history (Ackley). Boy we screwed that one up.

Ackley was the 2009 draft. Maybe they "learned something" from drafting him and that's why they didn't take Rendon.

That being said, Ackley was the right pick in that draft. Nobody knew Mike Trout would be Mike Trout. Besides Trout and Strasberg it was a very mediocre draft.

 

[NWinAZ]

I have no problem with them taking Ackley, but Rendon was exactly the guy they needed and passed him up for Hultzen because of injury concerns but my point was they did it with Ackley...ug.

I also have a problem with signing Fields over taking another player in the 20's with a shot of it being Trout who Jack admitted knowing about...ug.

 

[NWinAZ]

Of the first 60 players drafted in 2011, 15 have a positive WAR in the majors. Ouch!!!!

 

[johnfree63]

I have no problem with them taking Ackley, but Rendon was exactly the guy they needed and passed him up for Hultzen because of injury concerns but my point was they did it with Ackley...ug.

I also have a problem with signing Fields over taking another player in the 20's with a shot of it being Trout who Jack admitted knowing about...ug.

The Fields signing drove me crazy. He wasn't even a Jack guy. Why wouldn't you want another one of your picks when you're rebuilding?

 

[unlvmariners]

I remember the Hultzen draft pretty well actually. That was a draft I was watching closely, I was convinced we would draft a position player with a good bat. Completely shocked when they took Hultzen. Springer, Starling and Rendon where my favorite bats. There was concern Starling wouldn't sign because he wanted to play college football or something but if he was drafted by his team then he would probably sign which is what KC did.

My favorite Mariner pick in the first 5 rounds was the guy we didn't sign...Kevin Cron.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Mariner magic at its best. I also remember the draft where we passed on the best hitter in college because he had injury history (Rendon), but then next draft or so they take the best college hitter who had injury history (Ackley). Boy we screwed that one up.

I was pretty sure the Mariners would take Anthony Rendon, it was the pick I wanted. I was really surprised when they picked Hultzen.

 

[seahawksfan234]

I have no problem with them taking Ackley, but Rendon was exactly the guy they needed and passed him up for Hultzen because of injury concerns but my point was they did it with Ackley...ug.

I also have a problem with signing Fields over taking another player in the 20's with a shot of it being Trout who Jack admitted knowing about...ug.

I can't give the Mariners too much shit for drafting Ackley. At the time, it was a no brainer. I can give them shit for the fact that they've kept him around so god damn long.

If the Mariners hadn't ended that season with a 3 or 4 game winning streak, we would've had the #1 pick if I am remembering correctly. We would've had Strasburg instead of Ackley, and had we selected Strasburg I'd imagine we would've selected Rendon the next year. Ugh.

 

[NWinAZ]

The Fields signing drove me crazy. He wasn't even a Jack guy. Why wouldn't you want another one of your picks when you're rebuilding?

Exactly! And I just puke when drafting a college closer in the first round. Best closers in majors were starters and later converted. It was a no-brainer and the no-brain GM couldn't even get that right.

 

[NWinAZ]

If the Mariners hadn't ended that season with a 3 or 4 game winning streak, we would've had the #1 pick if I am remembering correctly.

Ya, all we had to do was lose 1 of our last 3 games in a 100 loss season and we swept the A's. What a joke.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Ya, all we had to do was lose 1 of our last 3 games in a 100 loss season and we swept the A's. What a joke.

Both have had their share of injuries, but I can only imagine how much different this team would look if we had Strasburg and Rendon instead of Hultzen and Ackley.

 

[NWinAZ]

Both have had their share of injuries, but I can only imagine how much different this team would look if we had Strasburg and Rendon instead of Hultzen and Ackley.

Huge!

 

[SeattleCoug]

I was pretty sure the Mariners would take Anthony Rendon, it was the pick I wanted. I was really surprised when they picked Hultzen.

Yea my exact thoughts/feelings about it. If they were for some reason gonna go pitcher I thought it would've been Bauer but it's the Mariners so whatever I guess

 

[SeattleCoug]

Exactly! And I just puke when drafting a college closer in the first round. Best closers in majors were starters and later converted. It was a no-brainer and the no-brain GM couldn't even get that right.

Agree 100%. My opinion is it's a waste to use a high draft pick, trade assets or throw big $$ for a closer. You can almost always find a serviceable guy in your system.

 

[wazzu31]

Not only the Fields signing but wasn't one of Jack's first moves Morrow for League? A starter for a potential closer?

 

[johnfree63]

Bump