A couple of questions have begun to be asked about the Mariners top draft pick. I'll share what I know:

1. Brandon Morrow? Why not Andrew Miller (who went No. 6 to Detroit) or Tim Lincecum (No. 10 to San Francisco)?

Morrow is a guy who is only scratching his potential, according to Mariners scouts and Morrow's pitching coach at Cal, who I talked to this afternoon. He's gained a lot velocity in a short period of time, basically adding almost 10 mph in the last 3-4 years. And while he has struggled with control, he showed the ability to get it done with his fastball (clocked as high as 99 mph), breaking ball, splitter and a changeup that he's still working on. He's also got a more prototypical body (6-3, 190), which is what hurt Lincecum (6-0, 165). His delivery is also considered to be smoother.

2. Do college pitchers have an advantage of preps when it comes to getting to the majors?

The one thing college pitchers have is the benefit of physical maturity, which means the top collegians are closer to the majors than prep pitches. The trend in recent years is to draft the college guys because of that and a higher level of experience and competition, which gives them an advantage when beginning their careers. The M's are high on Morrow and think he can rise quickly, if not as a starter than as a reliever.

The Seattle Mariners drafted Brandon Morrow, a right-handed pitcher from Cal on Tuesday with the No. 5 overall pick in the baseball draft.

The Mariners passed on UW standout Tim Lincecum, who ended up being taken by the San Francisco Giants with the 10th pick.

Morrow, a 21-year-old junior, went 7-4 with 2.05 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings. In his three-year college career Morrow was a combined 8-8 with a 4.04 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 151 1/3 innings.

"We are real excited," said Bob Fontaine, the Mariners vice president of scouting. "This kid is a good fit for this club."

Fontaine said Morrow (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) can start or relieve, but would begin his career with the Mariners as a starter in Single A. Ron Tostenson, the West Coast scouting coordinator, said Morrow has been clocked at 98 mph and consistently pitches from 94-96 mph.

In the second round, the Mariners drafted high school pitcher Christopher Tillman, a right-hander out of Fountain Valley, Calif. Tillman is 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds.

Travis Snider, a high school outfielder from Jackson High in Mill Creek, was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 14th selection.