Pros, cons of Seattle Mariners picking Mississippi State's Ace Reese in 2026 MLB Draft

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Mississippi State baseball star third baseman Ace Reese was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 2026 MLB Draft on July 11.

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He was chosen with the No. 24 pick in the first round.

Reese is the Bulldogs' first position player picked in the first round since Justin Foscue in 2020. Reese was ranked as the No. 18 prospect by MLB.com before the draft.

Here's what Reese brings to the Mariners.

What Ace Reese brings to Seattle Mariners in 2026 MLB Draft

Reese transferred to Mississippi State in 2025 after his freshman season at Houston.

In his two seasons at MSU, Reese was a multi-tool, left-handed hitter who can hit to all sides of the ballpark with plus-power.

He joined Mississippi State legends Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark as the only three players in program history with back-to-back 20-home run seasons.

Reese hit a career-high 24 homers in 2026, the fifth-most in MSU history, and was a two-time All-SEC first-team selection.

There will be questions about Reese's positional fit in the MLB. He only played third base at Mississippi State.

Reese is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds.

MORE: Inside Ace Reese’s transfer to Mississippi State baseball, winning SEC Newcomer of Year

Ace Reese highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Mississippi State

Reese, a Canton, Texas native, had a tendency in his two seasons at Mississippi State to play his best at the end of the season when the weather was warmest. In the 2026 Athens Super Regional, Reese's last two games at MSU, he was 6-for-12 with two home runs, two RBIs and four runs.

Reese hits lefties and righties fairly evenly and improved his walk percentage by 4.1 to 14% in 2026.

However, Reese's strikeout rate also took a slight bump in 2026 to 21.6%, and he'll need to improve some of his swing decisions. If Reese can't handle third base, he'll likely have to play first base or corner outfield. Reese increased his fielding percentage from .885 in 2025 to .935 in 2026.

Ace Reese stats at Mississippi State

Here are Reese's stats across 118 games at Mississippi State, all of which were starts:

  • .341 batting average
  • 45 home runs
  • 138 RBIs
  • 129 runs
  • 67 walks
  • 115 strikeouts
  • 2 stolen bases

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pros, cons of Seattle Mariners picking Mississippi State's Ace Reese in 2026 MLB Draft

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