MLB Draft: Mariners pick Mississippi St. 3B Ace Reese No. 24 overall

The Seattle Mariners selected Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese with the 24th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.

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Reese, a 6-foot-4 left-handed hitter, produced a .336/.432/.721 slash line with a 1.152 OPS, 25 homers, 23 doubles, 74 RBIs and 41 walks to 63 strikeouts over 62 games as a junior this past season while helping the Bulldogs reach the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament. For his efforts, he was a first-team All-America selection by Baseball America and a first-team All-SEC honoree.

“Ace Reese is a left-handed hitting third baseman from Mississippi State and has been one of the premier bats in college baseball over the last two years,” Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said in a release. “He brings an exciting blend of power and contact with good 3B defense. We’re excited about the offensive upside he brings to our organization.”

ACE REESE. STRAIGHTAWAY DEAD CENTERFIELD. pic.twitter.com/wao070zhxm

— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) February 17, 2026

A Canton, Texas, native, Reese began his college career at Houston before transferring to Mississippi State ahead of the 2025 season. In his first year with the Bulldogs, he was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-SEC after hitting .352 with a 1.140 OPS, 21 homers, 18 doubles and 66 RBIs in 62 games.

This past season, his 25 homers were tied for 10th in the country and second in the powerhouse SEC.

Reese was also a member of the USA Baseball collegiate national team in 2025.

Prior to his college career, Reese was a first-team all-state selection as a high schooler in Texas three times.

Reese was ranked as the No. 12 prospect in the draft by Baseball America and No. 18 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Both publications rank the 21 year old’s top tool as 60-grade power and suggested limited athleticism could lead to a position switch to first base or left field.

The Mariners have now taken a college player with their first pick in the past three drafts. However, Reese is the first college position player taken with the top pick by the organization since Evan White in 2017.

Welcome to the fam, Ace! #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/YtDg6kF3Qy

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 11, 2026

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