Luke Stevenson agrees to terms on his first MLB contract with the Seattle Mariners

Luke Stevenson is officially a member of the Seattle Mariners organization.

The now former UNC baseball star has agreed to terms on his first MLB contract. As the No. 35 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Stevenson signed for $2,800,000, which is higher than the projected slot value for that respective selection ($2,758,300).

While slot values give you a solid idea as to what the player drafted in that position will earn in their signing bonus, it isn't always a concrete number. It all depends on the organization (and the player), as some clubs look to draft players that they can sign for lower values earlier in the draft to help provide more funding for their other draft picks.

For the Mariners, having two first round picks (including the No. 3 overall selection, valued at $9.5 million), made them have to play things smart, especially with a handful of other draft picks to sign.

Now that the contract is signed, Stevenson is officially a professional baseball player. In an organization that develops catchers well, the former Tar Heel could be the next big star to rise up the ranks, as the ultimate goal of being a middle of the order type of bat for the Mariners' big league club is still the goal that he, and the organization, have for him down the road.

It remains to be seen what the plan is for Stevenson as he arrives in pro ball, as the Mariners have some options on how they want to ease their first round pick into the mix. To give you an idea of what you might be able to expect, let's take a look at Vance Honeycutt, Stevenson's former teammate at North Carolina.

Another first round talent, Honeycutt was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft class. He ended up playing in 13 games during his first professional season, splitting time between Single-A and High-A ball.

Stevenson might not see much action this season, but expect to see him competing at some point in the near future.