Mariners Find an Ace in Slugger Ace Reese With First-Round MLB Draft Pick

Mariners Twitter is already having a blast with this one. Seattle has a new Ace in the hole, and the ink on his first Mariners bat probably has not even dried yet. The name may be fun, but the power is where it’s at.

The Mariners used their first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft on 21-year-old Mississippi State slugger Ace Reese, adding a massive left-handed bat with a ton of upside this organization hasn’t developed nearly often enough.

Welcome to the fam, Ace! #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/YtDg6kF3Qy
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 11, 2026

Reese is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, and he swings like he knows exactly what that frame is built to do. The ball jumps off his bat. He can drive the ball to every part of the park and punish both righties and lefties.

Mariners Take Big Swing on Ace Reese With First-Round MLB Draft Pick

Seattle drafted a polished bat, exactly what they need to focus on developing. Reese isn’t super versatile. And that’s okay. The Mariners drafted him because there’s legitimate 25-to-30-homer upside in his bat. That should turn everyone’s head.

Reese began his college career at Houston in 2024 before transferring to Mississippi State, where he immediately became one of the most dangerous hitters in the SEC. He earned conference newcomer of the year honors after batting .352/.422/.718 with 21 home runs.

By the way, this guy did all of that while dealing with a loose bone fragment in his left big toe. Meaning he was crushing SEC pitching while compromised. So he’s a slugger and he’s tough? Sign us up.

Ace hit .336 (83x247) with 24 home runs and a 1.152 OPS over 62 games as a junior at Mississippi State University. He is ranked as the 12th overall prospect by @BaseballAmerica.

Read more: https://t.co/IimXf4i4tB🔗 https://t.co/zObIwYbdhL
— Mariners PR (@MarinersPR) July 11, 2026

He followed that season with another strong year as a junior and ranked second in the conference with 12 home runs during league play. Now comes the obvious question. Where does he play?

Reese has spent time at third base, but the defensive fit is up for debate. He has limited range, below-average quickness and an average arm. He improved after fielding .889 at third as a sophomore, but there’s still a real chance we have a left fielder or a first baseman on our hands. And guess what? That’s fine. We recently covered the Mariners’ inability to develop a homegrown first baseman in recent years. If Reese ends up being that guy, it’ll still be a win.

Seattle has produced good players and stars, but the organization hasn’t consistently drafted and developed middle-of-the-order pop, especially from the left side.

Reese gives them a chance to change that. And imagine if Lazaro Montes also works out. There could be some future problems down the road.

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