SEATTLE, Wash. — Seattle Mariners Director of Amateur Scouting Scott Hunter announced today that the club selected 8 players on the second day of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Rounds 3 to 10 were conducted today and the draft will conclude with rounds 11-40 tomorrow, beginning at 9:00 a.m. PT. The Mariners have selected 10 players combined in the first two days of the draft.
In the first 10 rounds, the Mariners selected five pitchers (1 LHP and 4 RHP), two catchers, one infielder and two outfielders. Each of the 10 draft picks have been college selections.
The Mariners selected catcher Cal Raleigh out of Florida State University with their 3rd-round pick (90th overall). As a junior in 2018, Raleigh hit .326 (75×230) with 44 runs, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 13 home runs, 54 RBI, 51 walks, a .447 on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage in 62 games with the Seminoles. Raleigh was named 1st-Team All-ACC. Among conference leaders this season, he ranked T4th in doubles, T5th in walks, 6th in hits and slugging, 7th in RBI, 8th in on-base percentage and 10th in batting. He hit .301 (69×229) with 45 runs, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 42 walks, a .412 on-base percentage and a .511 slugging percentage in 63 games as a freshman in 2016. Following the season, he was named Freshman All-America by Baseball America, Louisville Slugger, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Perfect Game. The native of Cullowhee, North Carolina, graduated from Smoky Mountain High School (Cullowhee, NC), where he hit .469 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI during his senior season.
Left-handed pitcher Michael Plassmeyer was selected 118th overall (4th round) out of the University of Missouri. During his recently-completed junior season with the Tigers, Plassmeyer was 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA (31 ER, 91.1 IP) with 103 strikeouts and 17 walks in 14 starts. He pitched 2 complete games this season, including 1 shutout. Over three seasons with Missouri, he has posted a 5.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio (199 K, 35 BB). The native of St. Louis, MO, was a four-year varsity player at DeSmet High School (St. Louis, MO).
Right-handed pitcher Nolan Hoffman out of Texas A&M University was selected 148th overall (5th round). The 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander went 3-1 with 14 saves and a 1.15 ERA (7 ER, 55.0 IP) with 53 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33 relief appearances with the Aggies during his junior season in 2018. Hoffman led the SEC in appearances this season, while also ranking 2nd in saves. He was selected as one of 20 finalists for the 2018 Pitcher of the Year Award, presented by the College Baseball Foundation, in May. Hoffman’s 14 saves this season equaled the Aggies single-season record (also: Jason Jester, 2013). Prior to transferring to Texas A&M, Hoffman played 2 seasons at Hutchinson Community College (Hutchinson, KS), where he holds the all-time program record for career strikeouts with 168. He also ranks 2nd all-time at Hutchinson in innings pitched (160.0), T2nd in starts (26) and 4th in wins (16). The native of Lincoln, NE, helped Lincoln Southeast High School to a District A5 title as a senior while posting a record of 7-1 with a 1.62 ERA on the mound with a .360 batting average, 3 home runs and 18 RBI at the plate.
Right-handed pitcher Joey O’Brien was selected in the 6th round (178th overall) out of the College of Southern Nevada. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-hander went 6-4 with a 2.61 ERA (15 ER, 51.2 IP) with 69 strikeouts and 16 walks in 17 games, including 9 starts, with the Coyotes during his sophomore season in 2018. He recorded 1 complete game and 1 save. O’Brien, a native of Okinawa, Japan, limited opposing batters to a .214 (40×187) average against while allowing just 1 home run. At the plate, O’Brien hit .330 (60×182) with 54 runs, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 52 RBI, 36 walks, a .457 on-base percentage and a .549 slugging percentage in 57 games this season. O’Brien was named SWAC (Scenic West Athletic Conference) 1st-Team All-Region 18 as an outfielder and 2nd-team as a pitcher this season.
The Mariners selected catcher Jake Anchia in the 7th round (208th overall) out of Nova Southeastern University. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound catcher hit .340 (71×209) with 49 runs, 12 doubles, 22 home runs, 64 RBI, 14 walks, a .402 on-base percentage and a .713 slugging percentage in 51 games with the Sharks during his junior season in 2018. He was named 3rd-Team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association following his recently-completed junior season. During his sophomore season 2017, he hit .326 (58×178) with 17 home runs and 55 RBI. Following his sophomore campaign, he belted 5 home runs and recorded 20 RBI in 31 games with the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod League. In 2016, he set Nova Southeastern’s single-season program record for home runs as a freshman with 8, surpassing J.D. Martinez (5, 2007). The native of Miami Lakes, FL, was a four-year varsity player at Archbishop McCarthy High School (Southwest Ranches, FL).
Right-handed pitcher Joey Gerber was selected in the 8th round (238th overall) out of the University of Illinois. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander successfully converted 14-of-14 save opportunities with the Illini during his junior season in 2018. He equaled the Illinois single-season program record for saves (also: Tyler Jay, 2015). Gerber posted a record of 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA (10 ER, 28.2 IP) with 45 strikeouts and 14 walks in 25 relief appearances this season. He was named 2018 3rd-Team All-Big Ten and earned a spot on the 2018 Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. The native of Maple Grove, MN, was a three-year varsity baseball player at Wayzata High School (Plymouth, MN).
Outfielder Keegan McGovern was selected in the 9th round (268th overall) out of the University of Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound outfielder hit .319 (69×216) with 68 runs, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 18 home runs, 50 RBI, 37 walks, a .431 on-base percentage and a .644 slugging percentage in 58 games with the Bulldogs during his senior season in 2018. McGovern earned numerous accolades this season: 3rd-Team All-America (Baseball America), 1st-Team All-SEC and SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He led the SEC in runs while also ranking 4th in slugging, T4th in home runs, 5th in total bases, T8th in RBI, 11th in on-base percentage and T12th in walks. He is the first Georgia Bulldog to earn SEC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Gordon Beckham in 2008. McGovern, who is majoring in biology, is an annual member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and a two-time member of the SEC Community Service Team. The native of Willacoochee, GA, hit .416 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI as a senior at Coffee High School (Douglas, GA).
Infielder Matt Sanders was selected in the 10th round (298th overall) out of Troy University. He hit .378 (99×262) with 90 runs, 19 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 28 RBI, 44 walks, a .463 on-base percentage and a .538 slugging percentage in 63 games with the Trojans during his senior season in 2018. Sanders led NCAA Division-I players in runs scored with 90, while also ranking T4th in hits. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound infielder was named to the All-Sun Belt 2nd-Team this season. The native of Madison, AL, was named 1st-Team All-State and All-Metro during both his junior and senior seasons at Bob Jones High School (Madison, AL).
The 2018 Draft concludes tomorrow with rounds 11-40, beginning at 9:00 am PT.
