Why NIL Pushed the Mariners Toward College Players in the 2026 MLB Draft

If you were keeping tabs on the Mariners’ 2026 MLB Draft, you would’ve noticed the absence of high school talent on their draft board. Apparently, it was entirely intentional. The board and the price tags pushed them there.

Seattle used 19 of its 20 picks on college players. The lone high school selection, 18th-round outfielder Dominic Santarelli, isn’t expected to sign and will fulfill his commitment to LSU. Another late-round pick, Texas Tech third baseman Connor Shouse, is also expected to return to school.

It’s not an accidental trend. It’s a look at how NIL is actively affecting the MLB Draft. For years, teams could use late-round picks on talented high school players with strong college commitments and see whether they had enough bonus money to change their minds. It was a reasonable lottery ticket. Save money elsewhere, make an aggressive offer and hope the opportunity to begin a professional career was more appealing than spending three years on campus.

Scott Hunter Explained Seattle’s College-Heavy Draft Strategy

That sales pitch doesn’t really work anymore. Collegiate athletes can earn real money through NIL now. They can develop at high-profile programs and reenter the draft with a chance to improve their stock. Turning down an MLB bonus is no longer the financial sacrifice it once was.

Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter essentially admitted Seattle ran into that new reality. The Mariners explored deals with a few players they believed might be signable, but when those negotiations failed to progress, they refused to keep chasing and moved forward with the college-heavy plan.

Honestly, that’s okay. We can gripe about the Mariners missing out on high-upside high school talent, or we can be excited about the polished players they actually drafted in 2026.

The Mariners entered the draft without additional selections and had a bonus pool of a little more than $8 million. They created approximately $460,000 in savings by signing first-round pick Ace Reese and fourth-rounder Trevor Lucas below slot value. But that also didn’t mean they could throw the savings around without consequence. Every extra dollar spent trying to lure high school talent would’ve directly affected the amount of college talent they actually could sign.

High school commitments have always been negotiating tools. NIL has given them more leverage. A player committed to LSU, Tennessee or another major program is not bluffing when he says he can return to school. He may have access to strong coaching, premium facilities, national television exposure and an NIL package that makes waiting considerably more comfortable.

The Mariners found that out and adjusted instead of forcing the issue. And by the looks of it, they came away with a really strong draft class.

Hunter also said Seattle didn’t view the 2026 high school class as being as deep as recent groups. Without extra picks, some prep players were always going to be unavailable because they would either be selected before Seattle’s next turn or demand more money than the Mariners could realistically offer.

That combination made college players the obvious lane. Seattle knew more about them. They had more data on them. Several had experience in the highly competitive SEC and ACC. They didn’t carry the same mystery-box appeal you’d get with signing an uber-talented 18-year-old.

There is still plenty of upside in this group. Reese brings legitimate left-handed power and looks like he could develop into a Kyle Seager-esque offensive profile. Jake Brown offers athleticism and a chance to stick in center field. Henry Ford slugged 20 homers at Tennessee, and Wyatt Queen was a strikeout machine at Oregon State.

These are examples of the calculated bets Seattle made on players it could evaluate, afford and realistically sign.

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