Mariners Select Power Hitter Reese From Mississippi State at 24Th
WHO:
The Seattle Times - Ace Reese stated, “I was super blessed. I’ve never been to Seattle, so I’m pretty pumped to get out there and see that, I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”
MLB.com - Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter noted, “The information that comes back from our analysts show that he’s probably one of the top three hitters in the country.”
The Seattle Times - The Mariners selected Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese.
MLB.com - Ace Reese is a 21-year-old player who transferred from the University of Houston to Mississippi State.
The Seattle Times - Mariners scouting director Scott Hunter commented on Reese's caliber.
WHAT:
The Seattle Times - The Mariners selected outfielder Jake Brown from Louisiana State University with their second-round pick.
MLB.com - The Mariners agreed to terms with Trevor Lucas from UNC Wilmington for $450,000, which is below the pick’s slot value of $591,700.
The Seattle Times - The Mariners agreed to terms with Ace Reese on a $3.5 million signing bonus, which is below the pick’s slot value of $3,818,700.
MLB.com - Reese slashed .341/.425/.719 (1.144 OPS) over two years at Mississippi State, earning SEC Newcomer of the Year honors in 2025 and first-team All-SEC honors at third base in 2026.
The Seattle Times - The Mariners selected Ace Reese with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft.
MLB.com - Reese was ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the draft by MLB.com.
The Seattle Times - Reese hit .336 with 24 home runs, 23 doubles, 73 runs, and 74 RBI in the past season.
MLB.com - In two years at Mississippi State, Reese hit 45 home runs in 118 games.
WHERE:
The Seattle Times - Reese played at Mississippi State University.
The Seattle Times - The Mariners are based in Seattle.
WHEN:
The Seattle Times - The draft took place on a Saturday in July 2026.
The Seattle Times - The super regionals game where Reese hit a home run occurred on June 7.
WHY:
The Seattle Times - The Mariners opted for Reese instead of a college pitcher, which was the expected choice.
The Seattle Times - Hunter stated that Reese is considered "one of the best pure college power bats in this draft."
HOW:
MLB.com - Scott Hunter mentioned that the Mariners saved around $460,000 from their first-round and fourth-round picks, which they can reallocate for rounds 5-20 of the draft.
MLB.com - Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter stated that the team has a total bonus pool of $8,218,200, which is the seventh-lowest in the Draft.
The Seattle Times - The Mariners made phone calls when Reese started slipping in the draft.
The Seattle Times - Reese's batting average decreased from .347 to .336 due to a change in hitting coaching and philosophy at Mississippi State.
The Seattle Mariners have selected outfielder Jake Brown from Louisiana State University with their second-round pick, and he expressed excitement about visiting Seattle for the first time, saying, “I was super blessed. I’ve never been to Seattle, so I’m pretty pumped to get out there and see that, I’ve heard it’s beautiful.” Additionally, the Mariners have agreed to terms with Trevor Lucas from UNC Wilmington for $450,000, which is below the pick’s slot value of $591,700, and they saved around $460,000 from their first and fourth-round picks, allowing for reallocation in the later rounds of the draft.