​Day One of the 2026 MLB Draft is in the books, and the Mariners have returned to a recognizable draft approach after a few years of leaning toward high-upside high school talent such as Cole Young, Colt Emerson, and Ryan Sloan. This time, Seattle pivoted back toward college players in a manner reminiscent of the club’s earlier skin in the Jerry Dipoto era. Their opening quartet of selections consists entirely of college players, with three of them being college position players: third baseman Ace Reese, outfielder Jake Brown, right-handed pitcher Nathan Taylor, and third baseman Trevor Lucas. Four players total, with one last name appearing among them.
With little industry-wide consensus about the draft’s order beyond the top handful of names, Seattle’s first-round pick proved to be, surprisingly, an uncomplicated choice. Scott Hunter, Mariners Director of Scouting, spoke pre-draft about the challenges posed by this particular draft, exacerbated by the team’s late draft position. He noted that while the organization typically targets a group of three to four potential selections, this year the pool felt more like a dozen-plus.
Those possibilities moved quickly once the draft began, with Reese—the power-hitting third baseman from Mississippi State—slipping down boards to land with the Mariners. Despite Reese’s notable raw power, his draft stock dipped due to a decrease in contact rates during his draft year. Hunter and Reese attributed the dip to a combination of a lingering foot injury and a coaching change at Mississippi State that led to a hitting philosophy that didn’t fully resonate with him.
Predraft, Hunter stressed that the Mariners’ system remains strongest in the middle of the diamond, anchored by a young core that has already reached the big leagues. The plan is to augment that core with experienced college outfielders who can move quickly, complementing the in-house talent. Even amid an early run on college hitters, Seattle found its fit with a college outfielder in the second round: Jake Brown from LSU, a former roommate of current Mariners prospect Kade Anderson. Brown stepped into a leadership role in Anderson’s absence, guiding the clubhouse during a period of cultural upheaval. In addition to Anderson’s strong endorsement, Brown impressed at the MLB Draft Combine with his speed—envisioning him as a potential center fielder—and with the power in his bat.
“Kade texted me today saying, hey, you guys are actually pretty smart up there, laugh out loud,” Hunter quipped after the pick. This anecdote isn’t an exception to the no-chat-speak policy; Hunter genuinely used the phrase “laugh out loud” in discussing the moment.
With the third round, Seattle returned to a familiar course by selecting RHP Nathan Taylor from the University of Cincinnati. Taylor is a pitcher who leans heavily on his slider, a profile that Hunter says the Mariners’ pitching department is eager to work with and develop further. The club’s scouting and development teams see Taylor’s arsenal as a strong fit for the organization’s approach, and they’re optimistic about translating his college success into professional upside.