With the No. 2 pick in the draft...

The Mariners take Dustin Ackley. Hands down Ackley is the best hitter in the draft. I'm very happy with this pick. Jack Z was on the phone during the MLB Network broadcast and he said Ackley will play in the outfield and will be in the big leagues soon. Obviously he won't be up in Seattle this year but watch out in 2011.

Number 27: The Mariners select Nick Franklin a switch hitting shortstop out of high school in Florida. Franklin is a very athletic, versatile player who fits the mold of players you've seen Jack Zduriencik bring onto the ball club. Obviously, Franklin projects to be a solid major league player but he may have been drafted to ease the concerns for the money the M's would be spending on Dustin Ackley at number 2.

There are rumors that the M's have agreed on a deal with catcher Steve Baron at number 33. The reason they can get away with agreeing on a deal with Baron is because he has been slotted to be picked much deeper than 33. Personally, I say watch for the M's to take a pitcher with their 33rd pick coming up here. Especially if pitcher Tanner Scheppers is available and they're willing to pay the money and risk the shoulder injury from the Fresno State pitcher.

*Update: The rumors are true. The Seattle Mariners select high school catcher Steven Baron with the first compensatory pick at #33.

First-year player draft starts tomorrow

Tomorrow, June 9th will mark the opening rounds of the 2009 first-year player draft or the Rule 4 draft. Our own hometown M's will be selecting 2nd. Now of course all you've heard of is this Stephen Strasburg kid, but forget about him. He's going #1 overall to the Washington Nationals and will probably become the highest paid draft signing ever.

So who does that leave us with? Well, the M's aren't going to end up with that bad of a player in the #2 slot. The University of North Carolina's Dustin Ackley is well regarded as the best hitter in the draft with plus speed and above average defense. I'd look for the M's to take Ackley #2. The only question is where will he play.

In Ackley's junior season at UNC he played first base. But, he's too good of an athlete to have him at first. Many of the experts see him roaming center field or possibly even second base. Either way, this is a kid you can really get excited about. Sure, he's no Strasburg...but who cares.

If you want to know more about Ackley, I encourage you to take a look at this feature written by Larry Stone at The Seattle Times.