Mariners Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Luis Castillo, Julio Rodriguez, George Kirby, Cal Raleigh, Logan Gilbert and More

Discussing the top fantasy players from the Seattle Mariners as the 2024 season approaches.

The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles relating to 2024 fantasy baseball draft prep and will continue to do so through the start of the MLB season.

Recently, we’ve been looking at things on a team-by-team basis. Those articles can be found at the links below:

American League - Texas Rangers (hitters and pitchers), Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros (hitters and pitchers), Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays (hitters and pitchers), Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels

National League - Los Angeles Dodgers (hitters and pitchers), Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves (hitters and pitchers), Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks (hitters and pitchers), San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals

Now, we’ll take a look at the Seattle Mariners.

Get ready for draft season! Check out our Mock Draft Simulator, Average Draft Position list and Draft Genius!

Top Fantasy Hitters

Julio Rodriguez is the first Seattle player off draft boards, according to the FantasySP Average Draft Position list. He’s ranked 19th overall with a mark of 20.25.

In his second big league season, Rodriguez had a .275 average, .333 on-base percentage, 180 total hits, 103 RBIs, 37 stolen bases and 102 runs scored. He clubbed 32 homers among his 71 extra-base hits. 

I like Rodriguez more than most apparently, going third in dynasty drafts and fourth in redraft leagues. Rodriguez was a top-20 fantasy hitter in points leagues and I expect him to improve in several areas, so there’s not many I like ahead of him. He’s a great OF1, even if he’s the ninth OF off the board on the ADP list.

Cal Raleigh is the next Seattle hitter on the ADP list, ranking 128th with a mark of 132.45.

Raleigh had a .232 average and .306 OBP, but made up for it with 30 homers and 75 RBIs across 145 games. He had 119 total hits, with 54 going for extra bases. Raleigh also scored 78 times.

Being in the lineup that often as a catcher is a big plus for fantasy owners. I think he offers fantastic value near his ADP, and then you can also use some earlier picks on different positions. 

J.P. Crawford is next up, ranking 138th with a mark of 136.59.

Across 145 games last season, Crawford had a .266 average and .380 on-base percentage. He collected 142 total hits, drove in 65 runs and scored 94 times. Crawford homered 19 times among his 54 extra-base hits. 

Crawford topped 10 homers for the first time in his career, and he posted many other career highs too. He should lead off for Seattle, which should allow him to score a bunch of runs again. He’s a borderline fantasy starter - regardless of how you view him, I’d want a strong second option at SS in case Crawford regresses.

Ty France is ranked 243rd with a mark of 208.5.

France regressed a bit in 2023, finishing with a .250 average, .337 OBP, 147 total hits, 58 RBIs and 79 runs scored. He homered just 12 times among his 44 extra-base hits.

He’s a career .270 hitter, so France is a decent bounceback candidate. If his average goes up, all his other numbers should also improve, which could make him a pretty big draft steal. I like him as a backup 1B, with the chance to start at an infield/utility spot most days if he improves a bit from last season. He’s not much of a risk this late in drafts.

Mitch Garver is the next Seattle hitter on the ADP list, ranking 253rd with a mark of 214.27.

He played in 87 games with the Texas Rangers in 2023, posting a .270 average and .370 on-base percentage. He homered 19 times among his 30 extra-base hits and 80 total knocks. Garver drove in 50 runs and scored 45 times. 

He’s the Mariners’ projected designated hitter, so if he stays healthy and produces a similar average, Garver could be a massive draft steal. He’s a decent backup catching option, with the chance to start at a utility/infield spot most of the season.

Jorge Polanco is the team’s last hitter on the ADP list, ranking 331st with a mark of 259.4.

Polanco should slot into the middle of the order after coming over from the Minnesota Twins. He played in 80 games in 2023, tallying a .255 average and .335 OBP. Polanco had 77 total hits, including 32 extra-base hits (14 homers), 48 RBIs, four stolen bases and 38 runs scored. 

Hitting third in a lineup with as much talent as the Mariners have is a good thing for Polanco’s fantasy outlook. He’s a pretty strong backup 2B option, and could probably start at an infield/utility spot most of the season.

Mitch Haniger, Dominic Canzone and Josh Rojas are the team’s other projected starting hitters - Canzone and Rojas are projected to platoon with the likes of Luis Urias and Dylan Moore. Luke Raley is another option off the bench, while Seby Zavala is the backup catcher. 

A few others will likely step up over the course of a season, and the FantasySP team will be here to help you identify those players, so check back early and often during the regular season!

Top Fantasy Pitchers

Luis Castillo is the team’s first pitcher on the ADP list, ranking 20th with a mark of 21.02.

In his first full season in Seattle, Castillo had a 14-9 record and 3.34 earned run average across 33 starts. He struck out 219 batters over 197 innings.

I’ve mentioned in several stories that I think starting pitchers are appearing too early on the ADP list. I think Castillo has a chance to be a top-five fantasy SP option, but prefer to draft him in the late 20s/early 30s.

George Kirby ranks 38th with a mark of 37.8.

Kirby made 31 starts in 2023, finishing 13-10 with a 3.35 ERA. He struck out 172 batters over 190 2/3 innings. 

Again, I prefer Kirby a little bit later in drafts, but if he stays healthy all season, he can be a top-15 fantasy SP. He’s a good second or third option for fantasy teams.

Logan Gilbert is the final part of the team’s three-headed SP monster. He ranks 46th with a mark of 52.59.

Gilbert made 32 starts in 2023, finishing 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA, striking out 189 over 190 2/3 innings.

I also like Gilbert several picks later, but would be fine taking him at his current ADP. He finished just behind Kirby in points leagues last season, and will likely finish ahead of several of the SP taken ahead of him this season.

Andres Munoz is the team’s closer and ranks 114th with a mark of 120.84.

Last season, Munoz went 4-7 with a 2.94 ERA across 49 innings pitched. He struck out 67 batters and earned 13 saves.

I personally don’t like spending an early pick (rounds 5-8) on closers, so a guy like Munoz several rounds later is much more appealing to me. He has great strikeout numbers, and his win-loss record should improve as the full-time closer over the course of the season, so there’s a chance Munoz could be a top-five fantasy closer if all things click.

Bryce Miller is the next Seattle pitcher on the ADP list, ranking 177th with a mark of 161.55.

In his first taste of the MLB, he started 25 games and went 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA. He struck out 119 batters over 131 1/3 innings. 

I think he offers great value back at his ADP, and think he could really break out this season if he is healthy throughout the season. He’s a great SP to round out your rotation with, and if he’s a depth piece, even better for you.

Matt Brash and Bryan Woo are the team’s last two pitchers on the ADP list. Brash ranks 259th with a mark of 216.46, while Woo is ranked 262nd with a mark of 217.44.

Brash is likely out until mid-April with an elbow injury, so that could decrease his ADP mark over time. He went 9-4 last season with a 3.06 ERA and 107 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings. 

Brash was likely going to set up Munoz, so that role likely falls to Ryne Stanek until Brash is back. It’s hard to ignore Brash’s strikeout numbers, which make him one of the best non-closer fantasy options out there. With the elbow injury now a concern, I’d look elsewhere late in a draft for a bullpen arm.

Woo made his MLB debut in 2023, going 4-5 with a 4.21 ERA across 18 starts. He struck out 93 over 87 2/3 innings.

Woo should cap the Mariners’ stacked rotation. While he’s the last starter, there isn’t a ton of young SP on the team jockeying for that spot. Woo will still need to pitch well to retain that spot, but it seems fairly stable for the start of the season. Woo is a guy I’d definitely use a late pick on - if he slips through the draft, he’d be a strong streaming option.

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