Danny Hultzen, P, Virginia

Following the Pittsburgh Pirates selection of Gerrit Cole out of UCLA, the Mariners made a splash with the 2nd overall pick, drafting Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen 2nd overall. Hultzen was considered one of the top arms in this year's draft, not to mention, he had one of the best seasons in college baseball this year. Here's how he got to this point:

Hultzen, a native of Bethesda, MD, pitched for St. Albans High School. In his senior season, he went 7-1 with an 0.35 ERA and 140 strikeouts. In addition, he was named an All American by both Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Hultzen's stats enticed the Arizona Diamondbacks to take him in the 10th round of the 2008 MLB draft, however, he committed to the University of Virginia.

in his first season at Virginia, he went 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA and 107 strikeouts. Additionally, he was named the ACC Freshman of the Year, and as a hitter, he hit .327 (whether or not this was due to his ability or the power of a metal bat, it is uncertain. That year, Virginia made their first College World Series, finishing 5th overall. Hultzen was a key presence on that team, both at the plate and on the mound.

The 2010 season saw Hultzen improve on his stellar 2009 performance. Though his ERA rose to a still-strong 2.78, he finished 11-1 and struck out 123 batters, 16 more than the previous year. Virginia once again made the tournament and advanced to the Super Regional, only to lose to Oklahoma. Hultzen was key in the regional earning a win against Mississippi. In addition, he was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year and was a semifinalist for 3 major awards: the Dick Howser Trophy (Rice 3B Anthony Rendon won the award) the Pitcher of the Year award, and the prestigious Golden Spikes Award (won by Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada).

Though Hultzen was still playing his junior season at the time of this post, his regular season stats were as follows: 11-3 with a 1.57 ERA and 148 strikeouts, Hultzen also hit .336 with the new bat rule implemented in college baseball. Currently, Hultzen and the top seeded Cavaliers are set to play California-Irvine in the Charlottesville Super Regional. Hultzen is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award for the second straight year.

Hultzen's scouting report is impressive. He's very smart, (Named an academic All-American, and is enrolled in Virginia's Medical School) accurate, and has the basic arsenal of pitches, a four seam fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a curveball. all of which are good pitches. Hultzen's fastball isn't blazingly fast, his average fastball is 92 Mph, but his control is what makes him a dominant pitcher. He's generally healthy, but his delivery has had scouts question how long he can throw that way before he can injure himself. Regardless, Hultzen is more than a solid pick by the Mariners, and statistically, he is better than Gerrit Cole.

Here is a video of Hultzen and how everyone views him as a player, a teammate, and as a person.

L.O.T's projection: Depending on how the Mariners handle him, he could be a solid 2 starter behind Felix Hernandez. Hultzen could be a potential All-Star, and could contend for the ERA title each year. Hultzen also has the potential to win 200-230 games, regardless of his mechanics.