Seattle Mariners 2021 first round pick Harry Ford breaks the mold
It was a mild shock when the Seattle Mariners departed from their recent trends and selected a high school catcher in the first round. Then again, Harry Ford is a departure from the usual high school catcher.
For the first time in Jerry Dipoto’s career as a General Manager (GM), he drafted a high school player in the first round. There was some shock after Rob Manfred stepped up to the microphone and said, “with the 12th pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft, the Seattle Mariners select Harry Ford, catcher, North Cobb High School, Ackworth, Georgia.”
Who? Who did the Mariners take in Round 1? A catcher, wait, they didn’t draft a college pitcher? Nope.
For the last three years, the Mariners have taken right-handed college hurlers in the first round. This was the fifth draft for Dipoto as Seattle’s GM and the first one where he didn’t take a college player in the first round period. Or should that be a question mark?
Dipoto shocks everyone
Actually, as a Major League GM, Dipoto never drafted a high school player in the first round, ever. His first crack at the draft as a GM was in 2014 with the Angels. That year, he selected lefty pitching prospect Sean Newcomb from the University of Hartford. In 2015, it was Taylor Ward, an outfielder from Cal-State Fresno. A quick note, Dipoto became LAA’s General Manager after the 2011 season; the Angels didn’t have first-round picks in either 2012 or 2013.
Until 2021, it’s been all college players for Dipoto in Seattle. That means it’s been seven seasons since the M’s drafted a prep player in the first round. Who could blame them after their poor track record with high school prospects over the past quarter-century? Ah, but Harry Ford is different. He’s the kind of athlete and prospect who shatters pre-conceived notions.
With the #12 pick in the draft, the Seattle Mariners select high school catcher Harry Ford
On top of everything, he has the BEST BAT FLIP in the Draft!
Ford is a superb fielder and is not the prototypical catcher, offering enough speed to potentially play 2B or OF as well! pic.twitter.com/Y9fe619DzU
— Farm To Fame (@FarmToFame_) July 12, 2021