Mariners Moose Tracks, 6/15/17: Mariners Draft, Super Relievers, and Yasiel Puig

Howdy folks. The MLB draft is over, so now it’s just back to regular old boring baseball. Booooooo (I’m kidding). Here’s to the Mariners winning tonight and getting back to .500. Meanwhile, here’s some stories to start off your day.

In Mariners news...

• Good news: it sounds like the top picks from this year’s draft are ready to sign already.

• The Good Phight wrote about Carlos Ruiz’s appearance on the mound for the M’s.
• Hisashi Iwakuma’s velocity does not look good...

• Greg Johns profiles lefty starter J.P. Sears, who the M’s picked in the 11th round of the draft.

Around the league...

• Brian Kenny explains why power long relievers are the new cool thing in baseball.

• Travis Sawchik at Fangraphs thinks that professional baseball and college baseball should collaborate to schedule the draft at a more convenient time.
• David Schoenfeld wonders if this is the least hateable team the Yankees have ever fielded. So I ask you: do you hate the Yankees right now?
• Jeff Sullivan wonders what we should consider a “jam” to be.
• The Chicago Cubs are selling pieces of the 2016 Wrigley Field ivy for $200 a leaf! I might as well go over there and just pluck one myself at that price.
• So...it looks like the ball actually is juiced.
• Robbie Grossman is currently the game’s most patient hitter, says Eno Sarris at Fangraphs.
• It’s becoming more and more common for MLB teams to use position players to pitch late in games when the result is all but decided.
• Bret Boone’s son continued the family legacy by getting drafted by the Nationals.

• Yasiel Puig was suspended for one game for flipping off a group of fans the other day.
• Major League Baseball has decided to open the floodgates to players customizing their jerseys. For a single weekend this season, players will be allowed to add features such as nicknames and more. Check it out.

Anders’ picks...

• For those of you who are into that sort of thing: it looks like Mayweather-McGregor is actually happening.