The Mariners have signed first-round pick Kyle Lewis, whom they took 11th overall in this year’s draft. That selection comes with a $3.287MM slot value, which is what the outfielder will receive.
Lewis chatted with MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom before the draft, discussing his late commitment to the game of baseball. He also explained all the work he’s done and confidence he’s gained since turning his attention away from hoops late in his high school career.
MLB.com prospect gurus Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis called Lewis the third-best player available entering the draft. That was based in large part on his “easy pop to all fields,” but the duo credited him also with a strong overall skillset to go with the power.
That was largely the same assessment of the Baseball America team, which rated him fourth. ESPN.com’s Keith Law pegged Lewis as the tenth overall draft prospect, suggesting that he’s slightly more concerned than others with the 20-year-old’s need to refine his hitting mechanics — though that was a common issue raised by all of these evaluators.
While Lewis is a center fielder by trade, the consensus appears to be that he’ll eventually settle in at a corner spot. A strong arm could land him in right field, per the reports. Perhaps due in part to his lack year-round baseball before heading to college, Lewis’s game speed is said to lag his raw velocity on his feet.
Seattle has to be pleased with the way things broke with its first pick. The club was somewhat hamstrung last winter because it fell out of the top 10 with a win in its final game last year — meaning that it possessed the top unprotected pick in the draft for purposes of signing players who declined qualifying offers. After holding on to the choice rather than punting it to add a high-profile free agent, it was surely gratifying to see an elite name not only fall to them, but also sign in short order.
Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune first reported the deal. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation had the financial details.
So what’s the reason why Lewis’s stock started to fall a couple days before the draft after many people saw him going in the top 3?
Seven other teams thought “if a hitting hungry team like Atlanta doesn’t take him, there must be an issue!” Haha no idea why he fell.
You have no idea of knowing this for sure
Hints why after being sarcastic, I stated “no idea why he fell.”
Heard that GM’s thought he played against lower competition at Mercer. He has a very high abnormal leg kick when he’s hitting. I pray to god he’s not another Alex Jackson for the Mariners. Saw Kyle Lewis’ interview after being drafted and he sounds like an intelligent kid and he’s 20 already so he should have a faster track rising in the minors.
Looks like Adam jones swing defense everything Mariners better keep him
Now watch the M’s trade him for Rich Hill
They better not Rich hills lucky now when he gets of his dl stint he is going to struggle
Rich Hill=Eric Bedard
Or millwood
You guys= uneducated baseball morons. Hill would have loved to have had the careers Milwood or Bedard had!
Um, Rich Hill has pretty much had the same career as Bedard, he’s just pitched out of the bullpen a lot more than Bedard did, and has made a lot less money. Millwood was a fair more accomplished pitcher, I’ll give you that, but Bedard not so much.
You don’t at all get what I’m saying, the Mariners traded a future all star center fielder for Bedard who was good in the very few starts he had as a mariner, I was joking that if they traded Lewis for Hill, Hill would pretty much be the same as Bedard.
And I was saying Kevin millwood because his tender in Seattle sucks and so would hills
I got what you said, I was talking to the Cubs fan, although, Millwood was part of a no hitter.
Phillip Humber threw a perfecto doesn’t make him a great no he is a bad egg
I have better trade for them Braves trade the Mariners ,Tehran , Freeman either Perez or Norris Aybar Olivia Johnson Krol banuels , Ruiz markakis a,j , lien and 20 million for Lewis , Jackson ,peterson ,marlette ,Wilson, hultzen ,rizzo , Walker and com ice next year draft and international pool money
WOW, just WOW. Between you and two others, I miss bigpapi4ever.
That’s worst than the Kyle Seager trade idea I heard earlier
I missed that what was the seater trade idea
Someone said the White Sox should talk to Seattle about Kyle Seager.
Worst trade ever. And just to clarify, for the Braves. For the Mariners that would be an absolute steal.
No, the Mariners farmsystem is trash that would make it the worst in baseball
The Seattle farm system hit rock bottom last amid questionable player development,.
Win/loss records don’t represent the best method of evaluating a farm system but I would note that this year the Mariner farm teams are faring well: Tacoma is 35-25 at Triple A, Jackson 39-22 at Double A, Bakersfield 32-28 at High A and Clinton 32-28 at Single A.
That’s not a trade that’s a novel
Dumb trade
Why don’t they just trade the whole organization, down to the vendors?
You know, the common 20 player, plus huge cash, plus draft picks, plus international pool money trades all teams make mid season.
This is MLB the Show trade rumors, right?
No kidding. I’m not even sure I would have the gall to propose such a trade in MLB the Show.
What a stupid trade idea
In other words “braves trade MLB team for AA trash and spare change”