Q.  Great time to be an M's fan :- / you mean like Smoak and Ackley?

A.  Look, if you wanted to Start Your Franchise with any kind of player you could draw up on the chalkboard -- Longoria, or Lincecum, or Mauer, or Strasburg, if you became a GM and wanted a young franchise player, here is what you would pick:

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1.  You would definitely pick a hitter over a pitcher.  First-round hitters provide much, much more return than first-round pitchers.  The M's are very fortunate that their savior is slated to be Dustin Ackley, as opposed to being Brandon Morrow or somebody.

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2.  You would pick a college player over a high-school player.  In part because the college player has passed many of the screenings that the HS player hasn't.  (Exceptions apply for the Uptons and ARods of the world.)

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3.  You would take a top-5 draft pick over a #24 overall.  With Dustin Ackley, you are not talking about a #16 draft pick.  You are talking about a #1 overall!, a guy who was taken #2 only because Stephen Strasburg happened to be in his draft.

Take Strasburg out of that draft and at least 20-25 MLB teams would have taken Ackley with the #1.

The same is essentially true of Justin Smoak, drafted #11 overall only because of signability concerns.  In terms of value, he matched Ackley, but with power into the bargain.

The Mariners have not one, but two different young ML-ready hitters who were #1-overall level pedigrees.

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4.  You would take a hitter with a great EYE over one who struck out a lot.  With Justin Smoak, you're talking about a premium EYE.  With Dustin Ackley, you're talking about a Wade Boggs EYE.

Shandlerites, when betting on young players, begin and end with K/BB ratio.  There is just no overstating what Ackley's and Smoak's EYE's do for their chances.

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5.  You would take a left hand hitter over a right hand hitter.  Given your druthers.  This isn't a huge factor, but it is a real one.

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6.  You would take a player who was a fit for your park.  Which is why Capt Jack, probably wisely, passed on a superior hitter (Montero) and bet the pass line on a player whose fly balls are going to clear the fence in his home park.

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7.  You would start your franchise with players who were good actors.  Delmon Young types have value, but not as the leader of your franchise.  Both Ackley and Smoak are down-to-earth guys who will lead in work ethic as well as on the scoreboard.

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Part 3

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