Mariners take lefty with No. 2 pick in MLB draft
The Seattle Mariners confounded most analysts today by bypassing Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon and other top bats and taking Danny Hultzen, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Virginia, with the No. 2 overall pick in the MLB draft.
Hultzen, 21, is 11-3 with a 1.57 earned-run average in 15 starts for Virginia. The 6-foot-3 junior has limited opponents to a .189 average, walking 17 and striking out 148 in 103 1/3 innings.
“Danny is one of the top pitchers in the draft with tremendous athletic ability,” Mariners scouting director Tom McNamara said in a statement. “We look forward to having him in our organization and working his way towards being part of our major league rotation in the near future.”