- Full name Maguire James Wiswall
- Born 11/25/1988 in Stoneham, MA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 213 / Bats: L / Throws: R
- School Boston College
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Drafted in the 7th round (222nd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2010 (signed for $150,000).
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Wiswall's stock soared after his strong 2009 summer in the Cape Cod League, where he ranked as the No. 21 prospect. Major league scouting directors voted him onto Baseball America's Preseason All-America second team, but he struggled out of the gate and scouts began to sour on him. The lefthanded-hitting Wiswall is at his best when he's using the left-center-field gap as well as pulling the ball, but in the first half of the season he became too pull-happy, and he struggled to find his timing and rhythm. He made some adjustments midway through the season and was hitting .306/.394/.630 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs through 219 at-bats. The 6-foot, 212-pound Wiswall has a strong upper body that allows him to generate excellent bat speed, but he needs to incorporate his lower half into his swing more effectively. Some scouts say he flashes above-average raw power, but others believe he will hit for fringe-average power in pro ball, which calls his profile into question. Wiswall lacks first-step quickness and is a below-average defender at third base, where he played as a sophomore, but he's an adequate defender at first. If Wiswall's bat continues to develop, he can fill in at both corner infield spots and carve out an Eric Hinske kind of career in the big leagues. He projects as a seventh- to 10th-round pick.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Mariners were ecstatic to land Wiswall in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. He first stood out to Seattle scouting director Tom McNamara as a sophomore in 2009, when McNamara watched an entire North Carolina-Boston College series while scouting future Mariners Dustin Ackley and Kyle Seager. Wiswall hit well in the Cape Cod League that summer, but some scouts soured on him when he started slowly as a junior last spring. He finished strongly, hitting 19 homers for BC before signing for $150,000. Wiswall has a muscular build and compact swing with good leverage, and the ball jumps off his bat. He hangs in well against lefthanders and can hit to the opposite field with authority, leading the Mariners to believe he'll hit for solid average and power. Wiswall played both infield corners in college and during his pro debut. He's not agile and lacks a quick first step, but he has soft hands and average arm strength. Though he has a blue-collar work ethic, it's probably a stretch to project him playing third base on an everyday basis in the big leagues. His lefthanded power is suited for Safeco Field, but he profiles best as a utility player on the infield and outfield corners. He'll likely spend his first full pro season in high Class A.