Mariners select hard-hitting high-schooler Emerson with No. 22 pick

SEATTLE -- For the second straight year, the Mariners went with a sweet-swinging lefty-hitting shortstop for their first-round pick in the MLB Draft, taking Colt Emerson out of John Glenn High School in New Concord, Ohio with the No. 22 overall pick on Sunday.

With the No. 29 pick, the Mariners selected Jonny Farmelo, an outfielder out of Westfield High School (Chantilly, Va.), and at No. 30, they drafted shortstop Tai Peete out of Trinity Christian School (Sharpsburg, Ga.). Seattle used its last pick of Day 1 to select third baseman Ben Williamson out of William & Mary at No. 57.

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Emerson and the Mariners were still sorting out contract negotiations, according to a source, but slot value for the pick is $3,496,600.

The 17-year-old was more than ready to get back on the field when he met with Seattle media for the first time on Monday.

“I’m excited to be able to play baseball again,” Emerson said. “I haven’t played a real game in like a month. So I’m champing at the bit to get back in play.”

According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting reports, which ranked him as the No. 29 prospect in this year’s class, Emerson is an advanced high-school hitter who makes repeated hard contact with a pretty left-handed swing. He usually drives the ball from gap to gap, but he also shows the ability to pull the ball with authority. Once he does that more regularly, his bat speed and strength should translate into 20 or more homers per season.

An average runner with solid arm strength, Emerson is a steady defender at shortstop but probably will move to a different position in pro ball.

“Coming up, my dad said that I really need to learn every position, to play every position, because if you’re versatile, you’re never going to leave the field. Especially when you got a bat,” Emerson said. “I played every position, because you never know who’s going to like you more at what place.”

MLB.com’s Jim Callis speculated on the telecast that Emerson could eventually wind up at third, where he played with Team USA recently. His quick hands also would work well at second.

“He is a pure hitter who already possesses an advanced knowledge of the strike zone,” Mariners director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said in a statement. “As a member of Team USA last summer, he was an important part of the lineup that won the gold medal. We see Colt as an advanced hitter who will not only hit for average but power in the future. Colt’s leadership and polished approach to the game makes us extremely excited to add him to our organization.”

Emerson had committed to Auburn University, but he is expected to forgo his scholarship and join the Mariners. He is the highest high-school selection out of Ohio since Derek Dietrich was taken in the third round in 2007, and he joined Ken Griffey Jr. (No. 1 overall in 1987) as the Mariners’ lone first-round selections out of the Buckeye State. And while the Cambridge, Ohio, product (population 10,104) admitted that there weren’t many Mariners fans where he grew up, Emerson did say there was one: his fourth-grade history teacher, a big Griffey Jr. fan.

“We love the player,” Hunter said. “There were a lot of comps to [Mariners No. 2 prospect] Cole Young. I've even heard a left-hand-hitting version of David Wright. But when you meet this kid, that was what really stood out.”

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Emerson is Seattle’s third consecutive high-school selection in the first round, joining shortstop Young (No. 21 overall) in 2022 and catcher Harry Ford (No. 12) in '21.

“Every meeting you have within the Combine -- we met with 80 different players. And to ... every player that played on Team USA we would say, 'OK, once we take you, who will be the next pick we should take?' And Colt Emerson's name was the first one [out] of a lot of his teammates' mouths.”

Last season, Emerson went 84-for-172 with 26 doubles, eight triples, 13 homers and 51 RBIs, good for a slash line of .455/.587/.928 (1.515 OPS). He struck out just 14 times in his high-school career, while walking 43 times in 54 career games with the John Glenn Muskies.

After his senior season, Emerson was named the 2023 Ohio Gatorade Player of The Year, the 2023 MaxPreps Ohio State Player of the Year and the 2023 Prep Baseball Report Ohio Player of the Year.

The Mariners rounded out their first day of the Draft by selecting two more high-school players -- outfielder Jonny Farmelo (No. 29 overall), shortstop Tai Peete (No. 30) -- then taking third baseman Ben Williamson (No. 57) out of William & Mary College.