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Seattle Mariners 2013 draft profile: Stanford Cardinal Austin Wilson

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Hitters keep on coming

With the 49th pick in the 2013 MLB draft, the Seattle Mariners select: Austin Wilson, outfielder, Stanford University.

Austin Wilson: H/W: 6’5, 245 LBS, B/T: R/R

Over the last three years the Mariner’s have spent their second-round pick on shortstops, and it’s nice to finally see that trend come to a close. With Nick Franklin making strides, it looks like Jack-Z is finally happy with his middle infield options.

However, the one trend that did stick was Seattle’s brass taking a hitter in the second-round of the draft.

Balancing picks

The M’s made a smart pick in the first-round by taking DJ Peterson, a third baseman from New Mexico. While Peterson has solid upside, he also possessed one of the highest floors in the draft.

Austin Wilson is arguably the opposite. The 21-year-old has massive upside, but also a low floor—don’t expect to see him in the Majors as quickly as Peterson.

Both picks were smart strategy on Zduriencik. Peterson’s high floor will provide a quick return for Seattle, and if he ends up being a bust the high-upside of Wilson can provide Seattle with massive draft returns.

We call that hedging your bets.

Just like Peterson, Wilson was drafted out of high school before attending college. He was a top-rated pick that year (2010, drafted by St. Louis), but he stuck to his commitment to Stanford. He should be an easy sign for the M’s the second time around.

Tools breakdown

Wilson has some great tools, with all the potential to be a power-speed threat at the Major League level.

The Stanford product has great athleticism and a solid approach at the plate. His hit tools are still developing—don’t expect him to win any batting titles—but the building blocks are there. He’s definitely too much of a swing and miss hitter right now.

His top tool is his power. Wilson has strong wrists and solid bat speed. He currently relies too heavily on his upper strength, but his power will be off the charts once he learns to utilize his whole body.

The M's land high-upside OF Austin Wilson in the second-round of the 2013 draft. (Photo: SFGate.com)

The M’s land high-upside OF Austin Wilson in the second-round of the 2013 draft. (Photo: SFGate.com)

Wilson doesn’t have game changing speed, but he’s far from a slug. Could hit the 15-20 stolen base benchmark in his prime.

With moderate range and a strong arm, with solid accuracy, Wilson profiles best as a right fielder. Has the flexibility to play center in stretches if need-be.

Despite his injury-limited 2013, Wilson hit .288/.387/.475 this season with five home runs and stolen bases, respectively. He has experience in the Cape Cod and made strides there in 2012.

Outfield remodel

With plenty of big-time prospects making headlines in the infield, it’s time Seattle turns its attention towards the outfield.

From injuries to busts, the M’s outfield has been its weakest link over the last few seasons. Despite lots of promise in 2013, not much has changed. Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Morse haven’t been able to stay healthy, and Michael Saunders has lost his magic.

Out of those three, Morse is the only one worth keeping long-term—let’s face it, Guti is never staying healthy—and Seattle lacks any top-tier prospects at the position.

Wilson does have a long way to go in his development, but his ceiling is massive. Seattle hasn’t had a reason to be this excited about an outfielder since Adam Jones was still in the system.

Combined with the upside of D.J. Peterson, the Seattle Mariner’s are on their way to a fantastic 2013 draft.

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