Mariners’ top pick Kyle Lewis pegged as top power-hitting prospect

Rehabbing outfielder Kyle Lewis isn’t only the top power-hitting prospect among the Mariners’ selections in the 2016 MLB Draft. He’s the top power-hitting prospect to emerge from the entire draft.

According to Baseball America, anyway, in it’s recent draft assessment.

Lewis "earned 70 grades (on the 20-80 scouting scale) for his raw power," the magazine reported, "and was showing that power in pro ball before a knee injury ended his season July 19."

The Mariners selected Lewis in June with the 11th overall pick. A junior at Mercer University, he was the consensus college player of the year.

Lewis, 21, then batted .299 (35-for-117) prior to the injury in 30 games at Short-A Everett with 26 runs, eight doubles, five triples, three home runs and 26 RBIs. He also had a .915 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).

"He was giving us every reason to believe," general manager Jerry Dipoto said, "he was exactly the player we thought we were drafting."

Lewis suffered the injury in a collision at the plate and underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee along with torn cartilage. He isn’t expected to return to active duty until late in the 2017 season.

While Baseball America cited Lewis as the draft’s top power-hitting prospect, it tabbed third baseman Joe Rizzo, a second-round pick, as the Mariners’ best "pure hitter" among the organization’s selections.

Rizzo, 18, batted .291 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 39 games at Peoria in the Arizona Rookie League. He drew raves for his "short, strong left-handed swing."

Among the other citations from the Mariners’ 29 selections:

***Fastest runner: Outfielder DeAires Moses, a 19th-round pick who batted .300 with a .397 on-base percentage in 22 games at Peoria while stealing eight bases in 10 attempts.

***Best defensive player: Infielder Bryson Brigman, a third-round pick who batted .260 with a .369 OBP at Everett.

***Best fastball: Right-hander Matt Festa, a seventh-round pick who went 6-2 with a 3.73 ERA in 14 games, including eight starts, while striking out 58 in 60 1/3 innings at Everett.

***Best secondary pitch: Left-hander Thomas Burrows, a fourth-round pick who compiled a 2.55 ERA in 20 games as a reliever at Everett while striking out 37 in 24 2/3 innings.

***Best pro debut: Outfielder Eric Filia, a 20th-round pick who was chosen as the most valuable player in the Northwest League after batting .362 with a .450 OBP in 68 games at Everett.

WINTER UPDATES

Right-hander Kevin Gadea pitched five more scoreless innings Friday for Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League but settled for a no-decision when the Tigers’ bullpen blew a lead in a 5-3 loss to Margarita.

Gadea, 21, also threw five scoreless innings in his only other start. He has allowed five hits in his 10 innings while striking out five and walking three.

The Mariners Gadea, a Nicaraguan native, as a 16-year-old in 2012. He was a combined 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 15 games, including eight starts, for Peoria and Lo-A Clinton.

***Right-hander Dylan Unsworth, 24, improved to 2-0 for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League by limiting Glendale to one run in three innings Friday in an 8-2 victory.

Unsworth pitched three scoreless innings in his only other start. He was 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA in nine starts this season at Double-A Jackson before a hamstring injury forced him to the disabled list in early June.

Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners

This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Mariners’ top pick Kyle Lewis pegged as top power-hitting prospect."