Seattle Mariners Select Korbyn Dickerson in the Fifth Round of the 2025 MLB Draft

The Mariners take their first college bat in the fifth round with a toolsy outfielder who posts big exit velocities

After a few money-saving moves in rounds prior, the Mariners jumped at the opportunity to land a premium college bat in this class and selected Indiana centerfielder Korbyn Dickerson in the fifth round, considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, players available on Day Two of the draft. Dickerson was a top-250 draft prospect coming out of Trinity HS in Kentucky in 2022, but went through with his Louisville commitment after being drafted in the 20th round; after not seeing much action with the Cardinals, he transferred to Indiana, where his star began to ascend rapidly.

The second Indiana outfielder to be taken this draft (Devin Taylor went to the A’s in the second round), Dickerson has some of the most compelling tools out of the college ranks in this entire class. With top of the line exit velocities from a twitchy right handed swing, Dickerson pairs it with plus run times and an above-average or better glove in center. He started the 2025 season as one of the best hitters in the country and was being talked about as a potential top-50 pick; however, he cooled off just a hair and ultimately settled as a ~T100 prospect in the class.

The reason for the arrow pointing down on Dickerson is a concern about contact ability. Though there’s plenty of impact in his bat, making more contact against breaking balls as a professional will be an essential development for him to be productive at the next level. There is reason to believe he’ll be able to make strides with additional development as he ran a sub-20% K% on the season and is a tremendous athlete, but he’ll have to prove it on the field. This could turn into a tremendous second day find for Scott Hunter and Co. if he becomes the player many think he can be.

This pick, alongside the Luke Stevenson pick yesterday, perhaps signals a greater tolerance by the Mariners front office for players with a less-than-stellar hit tool, instead betting on loud tools with the aim of teaching improved contact ability. It might not be what most expected them to do philosophically, however it’s an interesting development to follow and could indicate how they’ll view players for the rest of this draft. It could just be a blip or two, but it’s something to keep an eye out for.