Seattle Mariners Got It Right When They Selected Andrew Moore

A year after passing on the Oregon State Beavers’ top player in the draft, the Seattle Mariners got it right and selected Andrew Moore with the 72^nd pick in the 2015 draft.

What could have been considered a reach when selecting Moore in the Competitive Balance Round B, which is an extension of the second round, has turned into a smart decision. Moore was expected to get drafted in the fourth or fifth rounds of the draft, but instead he was scooped up early and has been rewarding the Mariners ever since.

Moore has pitched 33 innings with a 2.45 era while only walking one batter and striking out 37 for the Everett Aqua Sox. Due to him pitching close to 120 innings for the Beavers, he has been limited to three innings per outing for the Aqua Sox.

What made the Mariners decide to jump up and draft Moore several rounds earlier than expected? While no one can deny Moore’s work ethic and his track record in college, it may have had something to do with a player the Mariners passed on in 2014.

In the 2014 MLB first year player draft, the Mariners had the sixth overall pick. They were the first team to select a player with the intention of playing them at outfielder and they chose Alex Jackson from Rancho Bernardo High School. Jackson was a catcher, with arguably the best high school bat in the draft that the Mariners wanted to move to outfield.

Four picks later and the next outfielder came off the board. The player was Michael Conforto from Oregon State University.

While it is very early in his career, Jackson has struggled in Class A short season ball being nagged by injuries and hitting only .237 for the Aqua Sox. Conforto, who has already been called up to the majors by the New York Mets, was blazing through Single and Double A when the 2015 draft came around this year. Conforto has hit .258 with three home runs in 23 games for the Mets so far this season.

Going into the 2015 draft, the Mariners definitely did not want to miss out on another player like Conforto. Moore may not rise as fast as his former teammate did but he is certainly on his way to moving up the ranks next year.

The M’s rewarded Moore by drafting him 72^nd and giving him an $800,000 signing bonus. He has returned the favor by being one of the few bright spots this organization has had in 2015.