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Mariners Draft Third Baseman Ace Reese at No. 24 Overall in the First Round
The Seattle Mariners selected Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese with the 24th overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft on Saturday, according to MLB.com. Reese was listed as the No. 18 overall prospect coming into this year's draft, so he slipped a little bit to the bottom of the first round, most likely because of his defensive deficiencies at the hot corner. The 21-year-old from Texas impressed with the bat in 2026 at Mississippi State, though, slashing .336/.432/.721 with a 1.152 OPS, 24 home runs, 74 RBI, 73 runs scored, and a stolen base in 62 games and 292 plate appearances in his junior season. Reese hits from the left side, and power is his calling card at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. After he transferred from the University of Houston following his freshman season, Reese really showed his pop, clubbing 45 long balls in 119 games in the last two years. He has power to all fields and clearly has 30-homer upside at the next level, but his aggressiveness at the plate could become an issue as he climbs the ladder in the Mariners' system. And if Reese struggles to hit, he'll have less room for error without much to fall back on defensively. He profiles as a first baseman/designated hitter type as a pro.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
