Every June, MLB teams have a chance to change the course of their franchise — scanning high school fields and college diamonds in hopes of finding the next Griffey, Jeter, or Maddux. But unlike those of the NFL and NBA, the MLB Draft is a brutal lottery, filled with countless players that never fulfill their dream of playing in the major leagues.
For every superstar, there are dozens of players who never sniff the big leagues. Baseball’s path from “top pick” to “Hall of Fame” is littered with players who never made it due to broken mechanics, elbow and arm issues, mental hurdles, organizational failures, and more.
For the Seattle Mariners, the draft has been especially cruel. While they’ve occasionally struck gold, the list of busts is long…and painful. These aren’t just guys who didn’t pan out — they’re players who were supposed to be cornerstones, face-of-the-franchise types, or sneaky steals, often being selected before numerous future All-Stars and even future Hall of Famers.
After first beginning with some honorable mentions, let's dive deeper into the 15 worst draft busts in Mariners history.
Honorable Mentions
SS Darnell Coles: 1980, 1st round, 6th overall
Coles actually made the majors and played for 14 seasons, so by raw longevity, he’s no flameout. But for a top 10-pick, the Mariners expected a star — not a .245 career hitter with limited power and a journeyman resume. Coles struggled with strikeouts early and never established himself in Seattle, peaking elsewhere as a decent role player. The M’s drafted him hoping for a franchise cornerstone; instead, they got a league-average utility man.
RHP Josh Fields: 2008, 1st round, 20th overall
An older college reliever, Fields held out a year and didn’t sign until right before the next draft. He was later traded and never pitched for the Mariners. He eventually had a decent bullpen career elsewhere, but not in Seattle. He might be best known as the piece the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired when they sent Yordan Alvarez to the Houston Astros.
SS Pat Lennon: 1986, 1st round, 8th overall
Lennon was a five-tool high school phenom who looked like he could be the next Eric Davis. But a mix of off-field issues, attitude concerns, and undeveloped plate discipline stalled his rise. He made brief appearances with four MLB teams but hit just .265 over 91 career games. Seattle gave him every opportunity, but Lennon never showed the spark that made him a top-10 pick.
The 15 Biggest Draft Busts in Seattle Mariners History
15. RHP Mike Campbell: 1985, 1st round, 7th overall
Campbell looked like a future rotation anchor coming out of the University of Hawaii, and he debuted in 1987. But arm injuries and poor performance limited him to just 51 MLB games. He gave the Mariners a lot of value as a piece of the Mark Langston deal that brought back Randy Johnson — but as a standalone pick, he was a disappointment.
14. RHP Phillippe Aumont: 2007, 1st round, 11th overall
Aumont was a towering Canadian flamethrower, but command and consistency were major issues. He was part of the package sent to the Philadelphia Phillies for Cliff Lee, but fizzled out with a career 6.80 ERA in 46 MLB appearances.
13. C Ryan Christianson: 1999, 1st round, 11th overall
A highly regarded high school catcher with raw power and a big arm, Christianson was derailed by injuries and inconsistency. He never made it above Triple-A, hitting .244 over nine minor league seasons. Seattle was banking on developing a homegrown catcher — and completely struck out.
12. 3B DJ Peterson: 2013, 1st round, 12th overall
Peterson was drafted for his college bat and projected to move quickly, but he struggled in the upper minors. Though he hit for some power in Double-A, he never adjusted to better pitching and never reached the big leagues. A complete whiff in the first round during a rebuild.
11. 1B Marc Newfield: 1990, 1st round, 6th overall
Newfield hit in the minors and reached the majors quickly, but plateaued. Though he flashed some power, he never took a step forward and bounced between teams. In 355 MLB games, he posted a modest .249/.303/.375 slash line. Not a total flameout, but disappointing for a top-10 pick in a year that produced Chipper Jones, Mike Lieberthal, and Carl Everett.
10. 1B Evan White: 2017, 1st round, 17th overall
White looked like a Gold Glove first baseman with above-average pop and a high floor offensive profile, and Seattle bet big — signing him to a $24M extension before he played an MLB game. While his defense was elite, his bat never developed. He hit .165 over 84 games before injuries and inconsistency sent him to the minors.
9. OF Tito Nanni: 1978, 1st round, 6th overall
A Pennsylvania prep outfielder with huge tools, Nanni never developed a hit tool. He never reached the majors and hit just .253 over seven minor league seasons. He's one of the most anonymous busts in Mariners history, yet he was taken before players like Kirk Gibson and Tom Brunansky.
8. RHP Brandon Morrow: 2006, 1st round, 5th overall
Morrow had some strong MLB seasons, but he was taken ahead of Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and local standout Tim Lincecum. Seattle mismanaged his development, bouncing him between starter and reliever. He never reached his potential in a Mariners uniform.
7. OF Alex Jackson: 2014, 1st round, 6th overall
Jackson was billed as the best prep bat in the draft, drawing comparisons to Jayson Werth with a cannon arm and light-tower power. But the bat didn’t translate. He struggled with breaking balls, lacked plate discipline, and never adjusted to pro pitching in Seattle’s system. He was traded to Atlanta in a minor deal and has since bounced around as a Quad-A type. He's a classic case of tools over skills.
6. RHP Roger Salkeld: 1989, 1st round, 3rd overall
A top high school arm with electric stuff, Salkeld was seen as a future ace. He made the majors in 1993, but struggled with command and shoulder issues. He posted a 5.61 ERA across 45 career games and was out of MLB by age 25. Seattle took him over a future Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas and one of the most feared bats of his era, Mo Vaughn.
5. C Jeff Clement: 2005, 1st round, 3rd overall
A can’t-miss power-hitting catcher out of USC, Clement was supposed to be the next Mike Piazza. Instead, his bat never adjusted to MLB pitching (.218 AVG, 14 HR in 152 games), and defensive issues forced a move from behind the plate. He was eventually traded and never found his footing.
4. LHP Ryan Anderson: 1997, 1st round, 19th overall
Nicknamed “The Little Unit” (6-foot-10, same height as Randy Johnson), Anderson was one of the top pitching prospects in the 1997 draft class. But recurring injuries (especially to his shoulder) meant he never pitched in a single MLB game.
3. OF Al Chambers: 1979, 1st round, 1st overall
Seattle’s first ever No. 1 overall pick…and a historic misfire. Chambers was a high school outfielder with plus tools and power potential, but he never figured out professional pitching. He hit .208 in just 57 career MLB games and was out of baseball by 1985. The Mariners passed on Andy Van Slyke and Tim Wallach that year.
2. LHP Danny Hultzen: 2011, 1st round, 2nd overall
One of the most heartbreaking busts in franchise history. Hultzen was a polished college lefty and widely viewed as one of the safest picks in the draft. He was even taken ahead of Anthony Rendon, Trevor Bauer, and Francisco Lindor. But shoulder injuries wrecked him before he reached the majors. He eventually made a 3.1-inning cameo in 2019 — eight years after being drafted. A cautionary tale of why there is no such thing as a "safe" prospect.
1. CF Dustin Ackley: 2009, 1st round, 2nd overall
A polished college hitter out of UNC, Ackley was billed as the most advanced bat in the draft. But despite a decent rookie season in 2011, his production cratered — largely due to a lack of power and frequent swing tinkering. He hit just .241 over six injury-marred seasons and was out of baseball by 30. Seattle passed on Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, and Zack Wheeler that year — making this miss sting even worse.