The Mariners’ 2026 draft class is built around impact bats, and the loudest one in the group belongs to Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese.
Reese, the club’s first-round pick, shows up all over Baseball America’s superlatives for Seattle’s class. He’s the team’s best pure hitter despite the swing-and-miss in his game, thanks to a sharp feel for the strike zone and a habit of putting together quality at-bats.
He’s also the Mariners’ best power hitter, and the numbers back that up: Reese was one of the national leaders in barrels this spring, hit 24 home runs, and finished his college career with 52 homers across three seasons at Houston and Mississippi State. His easy plus raw power and leveraged, uphill swing give him a profile that can produce damage in a hurry.
That same bat carried over quickly once he turned pro. No player in the 2026 class had a better debut than Reese, who went off in 21 games with Low-A Inland Empire.
He hit .440/.530/.667 with three home runs, eight doubles and a 12:19 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Baseball America also notes that Reese could move fast, especially if Seattle shifts him to first base and lets the bat do the work.
Seattle’s class also features some athleticism and defensive value in the outfield. LSU outfielder Jake Brown, the Mariners’ second-round pick, is singled out as the best defensive player in the group.
Scouts see him as a possible above-average or even plus defender in a corner, with enough speed and instincts to handle center field as well. His arm adds another layer to the package.
Brown is also one of the Mariners’ best athletes, and his background makes him one of the more interesting names in the class: he was once more of a pitching prospect than a hitter in high school in Louisiana, ranking as the No. 118 player in the class because of a smooth delivery and a fastball that reached 93 mph from the left side.
Brown shares the best-athlete nod with Florida outfielder Hayden Yost, who also turned in a strong pro debut at Inland Empire. In 24 games, Yost hit .298/.404/.596 with seven home runs and five doubles.
On the mound, Cincinnati right-hander Nathan Taylor is the arm to know. He gets the nod for best fastball and best secondary pitch in the Mariners’ class.
Taylor’s starter velocity sits at 92-93 mph, but he can touch 97 and works with elite extension that helps the pitch play up. Baseball America says he averaged more than seven feet of extension with his fastball in 2026.
His slider is the separator: a high-usage mid- to upper-80s breaker that works against both righties and lefties, and it generated a 44% miss rate this spring.
There’s also speed in the class, with VCU outfielder Michael Petite earning the fastest-runner label after consistently stealing 20 or more bags in college. Brown is right there in the conversation too, with plus run times and plenty of ground covered once he gets going.
A couple more names round out the picture. UNC Wilmington third baseman Trevor Lucas and Ohio State catcher Mason Eckelman are highlighted as the Mariners’ standout pure bat-to-ball hitters behind Reese, while Eckelman also carries an intriguing family connection as the son of Alex Eckelman, who played at Ohio State and is now the Guardians’ vice president of hitting.
For Seattle, though, the class starts and ends with Reese’s bat. He’s the best hitter, the best power threat and the player most likely to move quickly if the Mariners keep him focused on one thing: mashing.
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