The name Alex Jackson surely rings a bell to certain Seattle Mariners fans.
Once upon a time, the Mariners took Jackson No. 6 overall in the 2014 MLB Draft.
Jackson never even made it to the majors with the Mariners, though. Instead, he’s turned into a journeyman catcher who has struggled immensely in limited MLB action for multiple teams.
But on Thursday, the Mariners got an up-close look at Jackson, just as a bit of a reminder.
Jackson was in the lineup catching for the Orioles in Thursday’s afternoon game in Baltimore, batting ninth.
The Seattle Times’ Tim Booth noticed, and he shared five names on X that were drafted in the first round but after Jackson in 2014:
- Aaron Nola
- Michael Conforto
- Trea Turner
- Matt Chapman
- Jack Flaherty
Booth ended his post with one word: “Oof.”
He’s not wrong.
Jackson felt like a can’t-miss, a star high school athlete who could throw and hit and run and hit for power.
But it just never panned out. Seattle tried to make him an outfielder to help his development by taking away the complexities of catching, but that didn’t work, either.
Instead, Jackson became one of the biggest recent busts in Mariners draft history.
Not every first-round pick makes it to the majors with the team that chooses them, but it’s always disappointing when it doesn’t happen.
Jackson is actually having his best season, hitting .244 with the Orioles in limited action entering Thursday’s game. But he’s never developed into a star or even a regular starter.
The Mariners will always wish they chose someone else.
