The Seattle Mariners used the No. 24 overall pick in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft to select Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese on July 11. Reese, a transfer to the Bulldogs in 2025 after a freshman season at Houston, closes his Mississippi State career as one of the program's most productive hitters in recent seasons.
What Reese provided at Mississippi State
In two seasons in Starkville, Reese established himself as a left-handed power bat who could drive the ball to all fields. He finished the 2026 season with a career-high 24 home runs, the fifth-most single-season total in school history, and was a two-time All-SEC first-team pick. His production put him alongside Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark as the only Mississippi State players with consecutive 20-home-run seasons.
- Draft status: No. 24 overall, first round (July 11, 2026)
- Size: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
- Background: Transferred to Mississippi State after a freshman year at Houston
Numbers at a glance
| Stat | Value (MSU, 118 games) |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .341 |
| Home runs | 45 |
| RBIs | 138 |
| Runs | 129 |
| Walks | 67 |
| Strikeouts | 115 |
Strengths and questions for the pro ranks
Reese brings evident power and a strong left-handed approach. MLB.com listed him among the top prospects entering the draft, and he closed his Bulldogs tenure on a hot streak — during the Athens Super Regional he went 6-for-12 with two home runs and four runs scored in his final two games at Mississippi State.
Still, evaluators will weigh his long-term defensive fit. Reese logged his college innings exclusively at third base in Starkville, and his profile — a 6-4, 220-pound corner infielder — has led teams to consider first base or a corner outfield spot if third proves limiting. He also saw his strikeout rate rise slightly to 21.6% in 2026 even as his walk rate improved to 14%.
The pick also carries local significance: he is Mississippi State's first position player taken in the first round since Justin Foscue in 2020, continuing a line of high-profile hitters produced by the program.
For Mariners fans, Reese represents a blend of current production and projection — a hitter with demonstrated power who will need to refine swing decisions and, potentially, his defensive profile as he moves into professional ball.
Sam Sklar, the Clarion Ledger's Mississippi State beat reporter, covered Reese's collegiate arc and prospect status leading into the draft.
This selection marks another national spotlight on Starkville's program and provides Mississippi baseball supporters a tangible connection to the professional ranks as Reese begins his journey in the Mariners' organization.
