The Mariners’ 2026 MLB Draft board told a pretty clear story: college players were the priority, and that wasn’t by accident.
Seattle used 19 of its 20 picks on college talent, with the lone high school selection coming in the 18th round. Outfielder Dominic Santarelli is not expected to sign and will instead honor his commitment to LSU. Another late pick, Texas Tech third baseman Connor Shouse, is also expected to return to school.
That approach lines up with a bigger shift around the draft, one that NIL has helped accelerate. For years, clubs could take late swings on high school players with strong college commitments, then see if enough bonus money could pull them away from campus. It was a familiar gamble: save money in one spot, spend aggressively in another, and hope the chance to start a pro career outweighed the college route.
That pitch doesn’t carry the same weight now. College players can make real money through NIL, develop at major programs, and come back to the draft later with a better resume. Walking away from an MLB bonus is no longer the same kind of financial sacrifice it used to be.
Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter basically acknowledged that Seattle ran headfirst into that new reality. The club checked in on a few players it thought might be signable, but once those talks stalled, it didn’t keep forcing the issue. Instead, it pivoted and built around the college-heavy path.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, the Mariners missed out on some of the upside that comes with high school talent. But they also came away with a draft class that looks polished and, by all appearances, signable.
Seattle entered the draft without extra picks and with a bonus pool of a little more than $8 million. By signing first-rounder Ace Reese and fourth-round pick Trevor Lucas below slot, the Mariners created about $460,000 in savings.
Even so, that money wasn’t free to chase every prep player on the board. Every extra dollar aimed at a high school commitment would have cut into what Seattle could spend on the college players it actually wanted to land.
That’s where NIL changes the math. A commitment to LSU, Tennessee or another major program carries real weight now. Those players can point to strong coaching, top-tier facilities, national TV exposure and NIL money that makes staying in school a much easier decision.
Seattle recognized that reality and moved on rather than getting stuck. Hunter also said the Mariners didn’t see the 2026 high school class as especially deep compared with recent years. With no extra picks to work with, some prep players were always going to be out of reach, either because they’d be gone before Seattle’s next selection or because their bonus demands would be too steep.
That left college players as the cleanest route. The Mariners had more information on them, more data to lean on, and plenty of exposure to players who had already been tested in places like the SEC and ACC. They gave up some of the mystery and long-term upside that comes with an 18-year-old, but they also reduced the risk.
There’s still plenty to like in the group Seattle assembled. Reese brings real left-handed power and has the kind of bat that could grow into a Kyle Seager-esque offensive profile.
Jake Brown brings athleticism and a chance to stay in center field. Henry Ford hit 20 homers at Tennessee.
Wyatt Queen piled up strikeouts at Oregon State.
Taken together, it’s a draft built on calculated bets: players Seattle could evaluate closely, afford within its pool, and realistically sign.
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