By Jared Stanger

One of the interesting variables of the MLB vs the NFL draft is the existence of high school prospects, and the potential of drafted high schoolers to decline signing and attend college.

So each team has a sort of backlog of players they have drafted but are playing elsewhere. This is the Mariners’ log of unsigned players. We’ll start with 2017 and work backwards.

2017

18th Round – OF, Myles Christian. Drafted out of high school in Mississippi, Christian is a freshman at Middle Tennessee where he is hitting 259/378/736, with 11 XBH and 9 SB.

35th Round – RHP, Hunter Lonigro. Drafted out of high school in Pennsylvania, Lonigro has no college stats to date.

36th Round – OF, Heston Kjerstad. Drafted out of high school in Texas, Kjerstad elected to attend Arkansas where he’s having a really strong freshman season, hitting 336/416/969 with 11 HR, 47 RBI. He’s still active in the 2018 College World Series where he hit 3×5, with a homerun and 4 RBI on Friday night.

37th Round – OF, Jesse Franklin. Drafted locally out of Seattle Prep, Franklin also had a great freshman season at Michigan: 327/379/967, with 10 homeruns, 47 RBI’s.

38th Round – LHP, Kolby Somers. Drafted out of high school in Oregon, Somers is attending the University of Oregon where he has made 16 appearances including 11 starts, with a 4.62 ERA, 1.35 WHIP.

39th Round – SS, Jack Smith. Drafted locally out of Mercer Island HS, Smith hit 247/286/546 in his freshman year at WSU.

2016

16th Round – C, Lyle Lin. Drafted out of high school in California, Lin is in his sophomore year at Arizona State where has posted two solid seasons, hitting 290 as a freshman and then 317/350/764 this year.

24th Round – OF, Trey Griffey. Never heard of him.

30th Round – OF, Tyler Duncan. Drafted out of high school in Canada, Duncan had a massive 2017 at Crowder College hitting 358/462/1.084 with 10 HR, 39 XBH, and 80 RBI.

31st Round – RHP, Lincoln Henzman. Drafted as an underclassmen out of Louisville, Henzman returned to college, and was drafted by the White Sox last year. He’s at 2.96 ERA, 1.13 WHIP in A-ball this year.

32nd Round – RHP, Kenyon Yovan. Drafted out of high school in Oregon, Yovan is now a sophomore starter for the Ducks after closing as a freshman. Posting a 2.98 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 10.42 SO/9 this year.

33rd Round – SS, Morgan McCullough. Drafted locally out of West Seattle HS, McCullough elected to attend Oregon where he played in 53 games as a freshman, but is apparently off the team this year.

35th Round – RHP, Will Ethridge. Drafted out of high school in Georgia, Ethridge has pitched well in his first two years at Ole Miss, pitching to a 3.19 ERA primarily out of the bullpen.

37th Round – C, Eli Wilson. Drafted out of Garfield HS, the Mariner legacy and son of Dan Wilson is in his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota where he has been very good, including hitting 301/392/843 this year with 5 HR, 33 RBI in 48 games.

38th Round – RHP, James Reilly. Drafted out of high school in New York, Reilly was slated to attend James Madison.

40th Round – C, Adley Rutschman. Drafted out of high school in Portland, Rutschman is one of the best players in the country as a sophomore, and will almost certainly be a 1st round pick in the 2019 draft. Rutschman’s 2018 season to date: 391/494/1.088, 6 HR, 63 RBI.

Seattle is eligible to draft a player they have previously drafted only if that player gives his consent, so some of these guys may still yet become Mariners.