Mariners Select UNC Catcher Luke Stevenson With 35th Overall Pick In 2025 MLB Draft
By Jeffrey Nooney, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Not long after the Mariners selected LHP Kade Anderson out of LSU with the third overall pick, Seattle made their second selection of the night when they took Luke Stevenson, a catcher from the University of North Carolina with the 35th overall pick. Stevenson was the fourth catcher taken so far in the draft, and was the third college level catcher taken. Stevenson had a good season in Chapel Hill, hitting .251 with 19 home runs, 58 runs batted in, ten doubles and 59 walks. His 59 walks led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) this season. For his efforts this past season, Stevenson was named as 1 of 13 semi-finalists for the Buster Posey Award and was named a Third Team All-American by Perfect Game, making him the first Carolina catcher to earn the distinction since 2004.
“I mean, I’m pumped. This is an absolute dream come true, and just being able to go to an organization like this, it’s seriously a dream come true, and the development that they do, I could not be happier. I’m fired up.”
Stevenson is still just 20 years old and stands at 6’1”, 210 pounds. MLB Pipeline had him ranked at 33rd overall and the second ranked catcher. He hits from the left side and has tremendous power, especially for the catcher position. While the power is very exciting, he does come with some question marks. His .251 batting average this past season at North Carolina shows room for improvement at the plate, and he struck out in over 24% of his at bats. That does not translate well to the minor leagues, but Seattle must feel confident enough in him to develop his hit tools. MLB Pipeline grades his hit tool at 40, his power at 55, run 30, arm 60, fielding 55, giving him an overall grade of 50, using the 20-80 scale.
“I like to think that I can change the game in a swing. I’m going up there, trying to do damage. I’m trying to put a good swing on something that I can drive. I’m gonna swing at strikes and do everything I can to work at counts. I want to be a tough out, and I want to just to do as much as I can in the box and be willing to walk and swing on my pitch and be disciplined.”
Like Mariners starting catcher Cal Raleigh, Stevenson will stick behind the plate throughout his pro career. He has a cannon for an arm, and is every bit as accurate as his cannon allows. He takes pride in being behind the plate, and has played the position since he started playing baseball as a kid, mentioning that his mother played collegiate softball at a small school in Pennsylvania as a catcher, so it seems to run in the family. When Luke met with the local Seattle media via Zoom, he said that he “takes pride in being a servant of the (pitching) staff.”
“That’s something I love to do. I take a lot of pride in working with pitchers and getting to know them well, going off their strengths and developing with them and developing a good relationship with them. That’s something I take a lot of pride in. So I’m really excited to get to know some of these pitchers and work really hard for them.”
It’s a bit of a surprise pick for the Mariners, considering the position. Seattle has their catcher of the present and future already at the Major League level in Cal Raleigh, who is locked up through 2030, is lighting the world on fire with 38 home runs before the All-Star break. The Mariners also have a young catcher tearing the cover off of the ball down in AAA Tacoma with Harry Ford. Ford, the Mariners fifth ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Ford is having a terrific season in Tacoma, hitting .292/.409/.446/.854 with nine home runs, 50 runs batted in and four stolen bases.
This pick opens up the speculation door for what Seattle could potentially be planning to do ahead of this years MLB trade deadline. Obviously Cal Raleigh is not going anywhere, and with Mitch Garver having a somewhat better year after a dreadful season in 2024 plus the money owed to him this year in the last season of his contract, there really is not room for another catcher on the 26-man roster currently. Harry Ford is seemingly major league ready, but this selection of Stevenson could signal that he may be available via trade for an impact player as the Mariners front office looks to improve the roster.
The Mariners still have two more picks tonight, the 57th overall (Second round) and the 91st overall (Third round) pick. Rounds four through 20 of this years draft start tomorrow at 8:30 AM PDT.
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Cover photo via North Carolina athletics.
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