The Mariners spent the 99th overall pick on Ryne Stanek.
Follow the jump for his pre-draft report.
Ryne Stanek Position: RHP School: Blue Valley HS State: KS Height: 6’4’’ Weight: 180
Birth Date: 7/26/91 Seiler Rating: 1C2 Commitment: Arkansas
Ryne Stanek is a promising right-handed pitcher from Blue Valley High School in Stilwell, Kansas, a southern suburb of Kansas City. Stanek is the definition of a pop-up prospect; a guy who is somewhat on the radar as a draft-eligible player, but absolutely explodes in their draft year to become a nationally-known name. Seen mainly as a projection pick coming into the spring, he’s shown the kind of stuff that teams dream of, and there’s a lot of projection left in his frame, as well. He has the pure stuff of a potential number three starter, and if he improves on his fastball even more, he could take another step forward towards the front of a rotation. As it stands now, his fastball is a plus 91-94 mph pitch that touches 96, which is a bump of 2-3 mph from as late as last fall. He has a sound delivery with clean mechanics, and the only concern is in his follow-through. Once he gets that cleaned up, his free and easy velocity is expected to get even better, and he has the frame to become a durable starter. His curveball gives him a second plus pitch in addition to his fastball, and that pitch is already a mature pitch. He throws a solid-average slider and average changeup in addition to his two plus pitches, so with a well-rounded arsenal, he offers at least a little bit of safety for such a projectable frame and pick. With the way he’s popped up this spring, there are still some concerns about taking someone without a long track record, but with his talent and projectability, he could go as high as the end of the first round, though he fits better in the second round for current talent, where he might demand a slightly over slot bonus.