FanHouse Dustin Ackley

SEATTLE -- Given that the Mariners have struggled mightily offensively, the signing of No. 2 pick Dustin Ackley serves as a serious momentum boost for an organization looking to escape a series of shaky moves under the Bill Bavasi tenure.

For example, Bavasi traded Adam Jones and George Sherill for Erik Bedard, and he selected Cal's Brandon Morrow over the University of Washington's Tim Lincecum in the 2006 draft. Morrow is in the minors while Lincecum is one of the top starting pitchers in the major leagues.

So the Mariners needed this. They needed to sign the best hitter in college baseball. Ackley hit .422 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 66 games for the University of North Carolina. Signing him went down to the final minutes, with general manager Jack Zduriencik revealing that the deal was agreed upon at 8:45 PM PT, about 15 minutes before the deadline.

North Carolina pointed to its pitching staff and believed it could manage the long road to a first College World Series title. Instead, the Tar Heels imploded on the mound Thursday night while they were handcuffed a second time in five days by a creative left-handed Aussie.

Josh Spence slowed UNC with off-speed pitches and Arizona State's offense ignited an impressive rally as the Sun Devils thumped the Tar Heels 12-5 in an elimination game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

It's impossible to really evaluate a baseball draft until years after it's over, when the players have all had a chance to develop and grow into whatever type of big leaguers they are destined to be.

Of course, here at FanHouse we're not patient enough for that. We waited, oh, about an hour after the first day of the draft was over before we hit up three independent analysts to get their take on what transpired.

We talked to John Manuel, editor of Baseball America; Ben Hyman, director of amateur scouting for Real Baseball Intelligence; and John Klima, editor of Baseball Beginnings.

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Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.

So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?

"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.

North Carolina junior first baseman Dustin Ackley, named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year on Monday, is widely considered to be the best hitter in the upcoming major-league amateur draft. In fact, many believe Ackley is probably going to be the second overall pick after San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

The accolades will surely continue for Ackley during the NCAA baseball postseason, which starts Wednesday for the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament, but one quality that best describes Ackley will surely remain the same: consistency.

"The amazing thing to me is he really isn't any different: He's the same kid, the same person, same demeanor," UNC coach Mike Fox said. "He's been consistent from day one."