A detailed view of the Seattle Mariners armed forces day hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park in 2023. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners Top Draft Pick Narrowly Missed Top 100 Prospect Rankings

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Feb 4, 2025 3:10 PM ET

Seattle Mariners right-handed pitching prospect Ryan Sloan is reportedly knocking on the door of being one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

According to MLB Pipeline, Sloan just missed being named one of the Top 100 prospects in the sport, despite the fact that he's never thrown a professional pitch. He was drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft out of the Illinois high school ranks.

Per MLB Pipeline:

Sloan has all the makings of a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. Not only does he have three potential plus pitches, including a fastball that has touched triple digits with run, but the extension created by his 6-foot-5 frame and his flat approach angle also add a layer of deception. The 18-year-old's advanced polish helped make him the top high school righty in the 2024 Draft, and the M's paid him accordingly with a $3 million bonus in the second round. Seattle has historically been cautious with prep pitchers, but Sloan's workhorse frame and history of pounding the zone could enable him to make a big impact in his highly anticipated pro debut.

The thing about Top 100 Prospects lists is that you can only ever fit 100 names.

These 10 players just missed our preseason 2025 rankings: https://t.co/7JRUO0ReEX pic.twitter.com/bzNJ6UDvW7
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 4, 2025

The Mariners have gone in cycles with their draft philosophy since Jerry Dipoto took over a decade ago. The M's have built their major league roster on pitching, including homegrown draft picks Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, but they went to a hitting-first philosophy in the draft in 2022, selecting Cole Young, and the again in 2024 with Colt Emerson.

Now, with the major league pitching established and the minor league hitting coming along, the M's are swinging back to pitching. They took switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cjtinje in the first-round in 2024, then took Sloan immediately following.

It's expected that Sloan will make his debut with Low-A Modesto this season.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: