Day 1 of the 2026 Draft included the Mariners' picks from Rounds 1-4, including Ace Reese at No. 24 overall. Day 2 spanned Rounds 5-20, and you can see every pick the Mariners made here.
SEATTLE -- The Mariners exclusively tapped into college talent throughout the 2026 MLB Draft, with the lone exception being a late-round high schooler that they do not anticipate will sign.
And this year’s selections were a reflection of what was available among this year's crop and when each of their picks surfaced.
“We didn't feel that the high school crop was as deep as it was in years past,” said Scott Hunter, Mariners vice president of amateur scouting, “and especially with only having the normal amount of picks. We didn't have extra picks this year, so we knew there were going to be areas that we were going to be out on because the kids either financially didn't fit for us or we're just going to go too high.”
The two players that they do not anticipate retaining are 18th-rounder Dominic Santarelli and 20th-rounder Connor Shouse, both due to finances. Santaraelli is an outfielder out of St. Joseph Catholic Academy (Wisc.), and was their lone high school selection. He has a strong commitment to LSU. Shouse just finished his sophomore season as Texas Tech’s third baseman and is expected to return to improve his stock for 2027.
It’s relatively common for teams to not retain late-round picks, and that Seattle will move forward without these two does not overshadow the totality of the rest of their Draft, which kickstarted on Saturday with first-rounder Ace Reese out of Mississippi State.
Bigger picture, though, the Mariners -- like the rest of the sport -- were feeling the effects of the NIL era of college athletics, as athletes now have more financial leverage.
More on Mariners' 2026 Draft:
Essentially, players at higher-profile programs with more spending ability could opt to return to school, where NIL money is available in ways it wasn’t just a half-decade ago. That impacted how Hunter and Seattle’s front office approached negotiations with prospective picks throughout this year’s Draft.
“We made a couple runs at certain players that we thought we might have a chance at signing,” Hunter said. “It didn't work out, and instead of chasing it, we really stayed the course after that, which is why you saw so many college guys as we moved through the Draft.”
The Mariners were able to pocket roughly $460,000 after Day 1 by agreeing to terms under slot value for Reese ($3.5 million, down from $3,818,700) and fourth-rounder Trevor Lucas, a third baseman out of UNC Wilmington ($450,000, down from $591,700), a source told MLB.com. And they were expected to reallocate that money towards their Day 2 picks.
Here’s a breakdown of their Day 1 picks, with reaction from Hunter:
Jake Brown, OF
- Round: 2 (No. 65 overall)
- Bats/throws: L/L
- School: LSU
- Signing bonus: $1,382,600 (matches slot value)
- Calling Card: The 6-foot-2, 206-pound slugger hit 16 homers with a 1.046 OPS over 42 games last year, before his season was cut short due to a broken hamate in mid-May. But he was back in action at the MLB Draft Combine last month and was one of the faster runners, leading the Mariners to believe that he could be legitimately in play for center field, having spent much of his college career in the corners.
- Organizational fit: Brown was teammates with Kade Anderson during their run to the 2025 College World Series, and was actually ranked higher than Anderson among Louisiana’s high school prospects in ‘23 -- as a left-handed pitcher. It wasn’t until after he turned down a 16th-round selection by the Rangers that year and went to college that he transitioned to outfield full-time.
- Quote: “Kade texted me today, just saying, 'You guys are actually pretty smart up there, huh?' Yeah, they were roommates or something. So at the Combine, I texted Kade, 'Is this guy all right?' And he was like, 'You should take him if you want a good human that can play.' So it made me feel a lot more comfortable making the pick.” -- Hunter
Nathan Taylor, RHP
- Round: 3 (No. 101 overall)
- Bats/throws: L/ R
- School: Cincinnati
- Signing bonus: $778,200 (matches slot value)
- Calling Card: The slider is what really stands out, as it grades plus and he throws it more often than his fastball. His fastball usually ranges from 92-94 mph and reaches 97 mph but has lacked life, per Pipeline scouting reports. He ranked second in NCAA Division I with 80 strikeouts on the slider and 115 strikeouts total over 90 innings.
- Organizational fit: He leaves Cincinnati as one of the best pitchers in program history, ranking first in career wins (22) and strikeouts in a single season (115) and third in career strikeouts (276). A lengthier track record should put him on a strong starting trajectory as his pro career gets going.
- Quote: “He could probably use his fastball a little bit more. ... But he has exceptional feel for those secondary pitches that we think can actually make him a more complete pitcher by just changing the way he uses his arsenal.” -- Hunter
Trevor Lucas, 3B
- Round: 4, (No. 129 overall)
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: UNC Wilmington
- Signing bonus: $450,000 (below $591,700 slot value)
- Calling Card: The versatility in the field and swing decisions at the plate are what stand out for the 6-foot, 195-pounder, who exclusively played third base this past season but could give Seattle a more multi-positional option as his pro career gets going. He doesn’t have the big frame of a power-hitting third baseman but did pop 12 homers with a .985 OPS and had some impressive exit velocity readings.
- Organizational fit: Hunter called him “Ben Williamson light,” referencing Seattle’s second-round pick in 2023, who the club drafted for his glove.
- Quote: “Talking to our [player development] group, they believe they can add a little more bat speed and a little more impact just by some of the programs we will put him through. So, once again, those things you have to take chances on certain guys.”
And here’s a breakdown of Day 2:
Rounds 5-10
SEC talent remained a prevailing pool that Seattle dipped into at the outset of Sunday, as each of their first three picks on Day 2 played in the premier college conference last season -- including outfielder Hayden Yost out of Florida (No. 162 overall), third baseman Henry Ford out of Tennessee (No. 191) and shortstop Ryan Wynn out of Georgia (No. 220). They then took catcher Mason Eckelman (No. 250), in the same round and out of the same school (Ohio State) as Dominic Canzone.
Player to watch: Henry Ford, 3B
- Round: 6
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Tennessee
- Calling Card: The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder possesses plus raw power that led to a team-best 20 homers in his junior season on Rocky Top. That came after two seasons at Virginia, where he broke former big leaguer Mark Reynolds’ freshman year record with 17 homers. Some of that power came at the cost of more swing-and-miss, as Ford carried a career-high 19.9% K rate last season and saw his batting average dip to .293, from as high as .362 as a freshman. Defensively, Pipeline scouting reports question if he has the quickness to remain at third base, so it’s possible that he transitions to first base or left field.
Rounds 11-15
This is where the Mariners went back to an avenue they’ve had arguably their most success -- college pitchers -- by taking four straight arms, beginning with Oregon State righty Wyatt Queen (11th round, No. 340 overall). He was followed by UNC Wilmington righty Connor Marshburn (12th round, No. 370 overall), Tarleton State righty Anthony Treto (13th round, No. 400 overall) and Florida Gulf Coast righty Chris Diaz (14th round, No. 430 overall). They then took Minnesota outfielder Charlie Sutherland (15th round, No. 460 overall).
Player to watch: Wyatt Queen, RHP
- Round: 11
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Oregon State
- Calling Card: It’s not just that he’s a native of the Puget Sound region, having attended Lake Stevens High School and grown up in Marysville, Wash., but also the massively intriguing path that he could take now that he’s in pro ball. Queen was one of college baseball’s most dominant relievers last season, racking up 78 strikeouts in 47 innings, for a gaudy K rate of 40.2%. His fastball has been up to 96 mph, and his curveball took big strides in 2026, but it’s his slider that is his best weapon, one with significant vertical movement. Expectedly, he was amped about being picked by his childhood team.
Rounds 16-20
With Santarelli and Shouse not expected to sign, this group includes only University of South Carolina Upstate left-hander Chris Torres (16th round, No. 490 overall), North Carolina right-hander Matthew Matthijs (17th round, No. 520 overall) and Virginia Commonwealth outfielder Michael Petite.
Player to watch: Matthew Matthijs, RHP
- Round: 18
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of North Carolina
- Calling Card: Matthijs will likely begin his pro career on a bullpen trajectory, having exclusively pitched in relief during his four seasons for the Tar Heels. He underwent Tommy John in 2025 but made a quick return by ‘26, though he wasn’t as effective, posting a 6.39 ERA in 27 outings. That said, at 22 years old, with a wealth of ACC experience and without the expectation of a starter’s workload, he’s possibly a name who could move fast as he continues to distance himself from surgery.