The Seattle Mariners kept leaning into college bats as Day 2 of the 2026 MLB Draft rolled on, adding position players early and often before finally mixing in a few arms.
After opening the draft Saturday with Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese at No. 24 overall, Seattle came back Sunday with picks in Rounds 5-20 and stayed on the same track: college-heavy, position-player friendly, and loaded with SEC names.
The first selection of the day came in Round 5 at No. 162, when the Mariners took Florida outfielder Hayden Yost. Yost hit .262/.369/.589 with a .958 OPS in 42 games this season, adding five doubles, 10 home runs and 23 RBIs.
Seattle stayed in the SEC for its next pick, using Round 6, No. 191 on Tennessee third baseman/outfielder Henry Ford. Ford put together one of the most dangerous power profiles in the conference, slashing .293/.360/.603 with a .964 OPS in 58 games while piling up 15 doubles, 20 homers and 57 RBIs.
Round 7 brought another SEC infielder, as the Mariners selected Georgia shortstop Ryan Wynn at No. 220. Wynn was a key piece for a Bulldogs team that reached the NCAA College World Series for the first time since 2008, and he finished his final season at .323/.377/.638 with a 1.015 OPS, 14 doubles, nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 50 games.
Seattle briefly stepped outside the SEC in Round 8, taking Ohio State catcher Mason Eckelman at No. 250.
Eckelman was productive all season for the Buckeyes, hitting .304/.422/.546 with a .948 OPS across 53 games. He also totaled 15 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 47 RBIs.
The Mariners then turned to the mound in Round 9, selecting Auburn right-hander Drew Whalen at No. 280. Whalen’s season was limited by health, but he still managed six appearances and logged a 2.45 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 11 innings.
In Round 10, Seattle added Stanford second baseman Eric Jeon at No. 310, its second middle infielder of the draft and of the day. Jeon spent one season with the Cardinal and hit .323/.425/.540 with a .965 OPS in 46 games, finishing with eight doubles, nine home runs and 28 RBIs.
The Mariners took another pitcher in Round 11, going with Oregon State right-hander Wyatt Queen at No. 340. A Lake Stevens, Wash., native who started at Everett Community College before spending two years with the Beavers, Queen posted a 2.49 ERA and struck out 78 batters in 47 innings over 21 outings, including one start.
Seattle closed out this stretch in Round 12 by selecting UNC Wilmington right-hander Connor Marshburn at No. 370. Marshburn, a three-year player for the Hawks, recorded a 4.57 ERA and struck out 81 batters in 80.2 innings across 15 starts this season.
By the end of Round 12, the Mariners had added four pitchers and a long list of college position players, continuing the draft approach they established from the start.
In Other News...
Mariners Fans May Need To Revisit One Prospect After This Stage
Kade Anderson got a much cleaner showcase in the MLB Futures Game, working one inning on just ten pitches and giving Seattle fans a fresh reminder of why he remains one of the more interesting arms in the system. The performance came in a setting built for prospects to flash their best stuff, and Anderson did exactly that while the draft buzz swirled around him and the rest of the young talent on display.
For Mariners followers, the outing also fits a bigger picture that has been developing at Double-A, where Anderson has been missing bats and trimming the walks that once clouded the evaluation. After some outside chatter had pushed other names into the ace conversation, his latest look offered a useful counterpoint, even if the Futures Game is only one stage and not the final word on where he stands. [Read more 🡒]
Tacoma Just Made The Mariners Next Wave Feel Very Real
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Everett added to the optimism with strong offensive stretches from Luke Stevenson and Jonny Farmelo, even as the pitching results came and went, and Arkansas managed a split despite being without Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan while they were away at the Futures Game. The broader picture is what matters for Seattle: the next wave does not just look deep, it is beginning to look close, and Tacomas latest run only sharpened the question of how soon some of those names will force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Added An Outfield Athlete With Intriguing Upside
The Mariners added a little more speed to the organization with the signing of Kyle Boylston, a former Florida Atlantic outfielder who landed in Seattle as an undrafted free agent after the 2026 MLB Draft. Boylston spent the 2025-26 academic year focused solely on baseball, and the move gives the Mariners another athletic outfield option to evaluate after a season in which he hit .289 with three home runs and kept pressure on defenses every time he reached base.
What makes Boylston interesting is the way his game has been shaped by his athletic background and his running ability. He stole 14 bases without being caught for FAU, and that kind of efficiency tends to stand out for an organization that values speed and versatility in the outfield. The next question is how Seattle plans to develop that upside, because the raw tools are obvious enough to merit a closer look. [Read more 🡒]