​SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners wrapped up the 2026 MLB Draft with a noticeably heavier emphasis on college talent than on high school players. The organization views this year’s draft as markedly stronger in terms of college players, and they prioritized college bats on Day 1 and the first half of Day 2, while allocating about half of their final eight picks to pitchers. Here’s a look at the Mariners’ eight selections to close the 2026 draft.
Seattle continued to lean into pitching in the latter rounds, selecting a right-handed reliever who embodies the club’s “attack the zone, minimize walks” philosophy. Treto fanned 68 batters over 52.1 innings in 26 appearances this season, walking 17 and posting a 3.10 ERA. This pickup fits Seattle’s pattern of adding late-round pitching depth.
Diaz, who started his college career at Miami before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast, posted a 3.98 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 72.1 innings across 15 starts this year. The switch-pitcher threw a complete-game shutout against Queens on April 18. Diaz is currently committed to Arkansas after entering the transfer portal again, but signability remains likely. The Mariners underslot strategy paid dividends with several Day 1 selections, enabling them to sign players like Diaz who held solid NIL deals and commitments. “We are going to sign Chris Diaz, which is really another reason we slotted in the middle of the draft when we weren’t really in on some of the high school kids,” said M’s vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter at T-Mobile Park. “Don’t chase upside that isn’t there just because they’re younger. It gave us a little more buying power, so to speak. Chris had a really strong commitment to the University of Arkansas, and after talking to him and working the numbers throughout the draft, we were able to get him to commit. He’s extremely excited—one of the more emotional calls of the day.”
Seattle shifted focus back toward the outfield depth in the farm system by tapping the Big Ten for their next addition. Sutherland posted an impressive line in 53 games, hitting .325/.434/.572 with a 1.006 OPS, tallying 11 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 56 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases in 16 attempts.
Day 2 was pitcher-heavy, and the Mariners picked their first southpaw from a smaller program. Torres pitched the last two seasons for South Carolina Upstate in the Big South, finishing with a 5.28 ERA and 71 strikeouts over 76.2 innings in 18 appearances (16 starts).
In a nod to past strategy, Seattle revisited a familiar path by using a Competitive Balance Round-A pick last year to select a fringe top-100 catcher prospect Luke Stevenson. This year, the Mariners’ 17th-round pick yielded a reliever who Stevenson has experience catching at North Carolina. Matthijs appeared in 27 relief appearances for the Tar Heels, contributing bullpen depth that could translate as a future organizational asset.
Overall, Seattle’s approach this year leaned toward college readiness and clearer path-to-the-MLB upside, with a strategic underslot framework enabling more signing flexibility for a number of players who had notable college commitments, strong statistical profiles, or compelling transferable skills. The blend of college bats on Day 1, a continued push for late-inning pitching, and targeted high-floor college arms signals a draft class built around proven performance, depth, and signability, with the Mariners aiming to stock the pipeline with immediate contributors and long-term contributors alike.