John Mayberry Jr., a gifted athlete, is slated to play in the outfield unlike his father. (Baseball America)

Seattle Mariners round-by-round picks

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners were near the end of the line Tuesday when it came to first round picks in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. But they did better than they could have expected with the 28th pick (out of 30 teams.)

"We definitely got the guy we wanted," said Mariners scouting director Frank Mattox of first baseman/outfielder John Mayberry, Jr. "We weren't sure what was going to happen, but things fell right into our laps and we were very happy about it."

The 18-year-old son of former MLB star John Mayberry Sr., Mayberry attended Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. The 6-4, 215 pound right-hander batted .432 (32-for-74) with nine home runs and 29 RBIs this past season. He was selected as the 2002 Gatorade Missouri State Player of the Year.

"He is a good-looking athlete," Mattox said. "He has five tools and is exactly what we are looking for."

John Mayberry School: Rockhurst HS Position: 1B   B/T: R/R H: 6-5   W: 200 Born: 12/21/1983   Class: HS Scouting report: Tall, strong, well built, athletic body. Son of former Major Leaguer John Mayberry. Sound hitting approach. Good bat speed through zone. Good idea of strike zone. Has type of power that cannot be taught. Steady, reliable fielder. Confident approach both at plate and in the field. Scouting video: 56k | 300k

Roger Jongewaard, the Mariners ' vice president of scouting and development, told MLB.com prior to the draft that the team wanted to select offensive players with its early picks.

Their first three choices were position players. Of the 22 players drafted on Tuesday, the Mariners selected six infielders, four outfielders, two catchers and 10 pitchers.

"Our strategy coming in was to look for a high top-end position player in the first round and that's what we got with Mayberry," Mattox said. "Josh Womack is a guy who really grew on me as the year went along."

As for the second-round choice, the scouting report on Womack reads: Physical specimen. Conditioned athletic frame, similar to J.D. Drew. Plus wheels, accelerating speed. Short, compact stroke. Level swing with good bat extension. Fair bat speed through zone. Outfield instincts. Competitive. Also pitches.

The Mariners used their fourth- and fifth-round selections to draft pitchers Randall Frye, a 6-5, 215-pound right-hander, and left-hander Kendall Bergdall (6-3, 195).

Seattle also selected left-handed pitcher Troy Cate from Ricks College in the sixth round and high school left-hander Brandon Perry in the eighth round.

One of the more interesting picks was second baseman Evel Bastida-Martinez, a 23-year-old Cuban.

The Mariners were among the MLB teams that gave Bastida-Martinez a workout and were impressed enough sign him. But MLB insisted that the left-handed hitter be included in the draft.

		JUNE 4-5 | NEW YORK CITY Draft order | Rules | FAQ FULL COVERAGE: • Bullington goes first • Drafttracker • Complete Draft coverage Round-by-round audio Round 1 Rounds 2-5 Rounds 6-10 Rounds 11-15 Rounds 16-20 Rounds 21-22 Rounds 23-27 Rounds 28-32 Rounds 33-37 Rounds 38-42 Rounds 43-50

Asked if his experience and age makes him better than most players in the draft, Jongewaard said Bastida-Martinez conceivably could start his career at the Class-A level.

"He has played a lot of good baseball," said Mariners scout Pedro Grifol, based out of Miami."

Th 50-round draft should end on Wednesday. As for the first day, Jongewaard and Mattox were pleased.

"Our goal was to add position players to our system," Mattox said. "We're extremely pleased with the players we drafted."

Jim Street covers the Mariners for MLB.com and can be reached at mlbjstreet@aol.com. This story was not subject to the approval of MLB or its clubs.