By Jared Stanger
The 2026 MLB Draft will be following this year’s NFL Draft to Pennsylvania with this year’s baseball selection events hitting Philadelphia, after the NFL conducted theirs in Pittsburgh. We’re about nine weeks away from the July 11th to 13th draft days.
The Mariners, who traded away a second round competitive balance B pick as part of the Brendan Donovan trade, will go into the draft with picks: #1.24, #2.65, #3.101, #4.129, #5.162, #6.191, #7.220, #8.250, #9.280, #10.310, #11.340, #12.370, #13.400, #14.430, #15.460, #16.490, #17.520, #18.550, #19.580, #20.610.
The real draft will be 20 rounds, but I’ve done enough study to get us up to a 15 round draft today.
In another parallel to the 2026 NFL Draft; this year’s MLB Draft had huge expectations to be a great draft class immediately following the conclusion of the 2025 draft, but many of the projected elite players have gotten hurt or had gravely underwhelming seasons. The top of this class is now being back-filled with college players that have climbed into the first round only in these last three months. There isn’t any one particular strength of the four quadrants to baseball drafts: college pitcher, college hitter, prep pitcher, prep hitter.
The Mariners, after trading away pick #2.68, find themselves with one of the smallest draft bonus pools in the league (24th of 30 teams), and therefore they may not have much flexibility to draft prep players that they can give overslot money to. This may be a college-heavy draft for them. Their top pick at #1.24 is slotted for $3,818,700, with another $1,382,600 for pick #65. The Mariners typically do not save much money with their first two picks, and any overslot savings tend to come from any combination of picks in rounds 4-10.
Looking at the late first round…I tend to think Seattle will be presented with choosing from a handful of the best college players remaining. There are a couple of prep pitchers that currently rank near the 24th pick in LHP Brody Bumila (#22) and RHP Coleman Borthwick (#24). I kind of don’t see those at legitimate options as Seattle has typically avoided prep pitchers with their first pick. They have occasionally taken a prep pitcher with a lesser pick AFTER securing a more stable college player with their first pick. When I look at the MLB Pipeline big board; I tend to think Seattle may be choosing between two college outfielders, and two college righthand pitchers: RHP Logan Reddemann, RHP Cade Townsend, OF Caden Sorrell, OF Aiden Robbins. I would prefer one of the pitchers.
Seattle has not typically drafted outfielders in the first round. Jonny Farmelo was pick #1.29, but this was Seattle’s Prospect Promotion Incentive bonus pick award (earned after Julio Rodriguez won Rookie of the Year), and after Seattle drafted SS Colt Emerson at #1.22 in the same class.
Also, as I sketched out my overall draft, I found that there was a natural gap in available pitching after the first round, whereas you can frequently find outfielders deeper into the draft.
So my hope for the Mariners becomes that they can snag either Logan Reddemann or Cade Townsend at 24. I think Reddemann has the better resume to go earlier, so my likeliest, wishful outcome becomes Townsend.
#1.24 – RHP, Ole Miss, Cade Townsend
Townsend kind of falls more in line with the Mariners more recent starter picks of Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, Kade Anderson in that he’s not the biggest guy. Listed at 6’1″/185lbs; Townsend has an arsenal of 7 or 8 pitches, but the primaries are a fastball that has been up to 98mph and a plus slider. In 2026 he is carrying a 2.42 ERA, 0.962 WHIP, 12.6 SO/9, 2.3 BB/9. He did miss some time earlier this year with an undisclosed injury, but it was at worst two weeks until he returned.
I’m not planning to do anything special with the signing bonus for Townsend. He gets the full-slot money.
#2.65 – C, Texas, Carson Tinney
My mock drafts generally tend to more balance than what Seattle eventually ends up with, so I end up with fairly even numbers of hitters and pitchers. So I like a bat in the 2nd after a pitcher in the 1st. My shortlist included Texas A&M second baseman Gavin Grahovac, UCLA outfielder Will Gasparino, and Texas catcher Carson Tinney. I went with Tinney because of his prodigious righthanded power, and outstanding abilities as a defensive catcher.
Tinney is a huge backstop at 6’4″/240lbs and is hitting .323/.478/1.168 with 16 HR, 39 RBI, 5×6 SB in 44 games after transferring to Texas from Notre Dame this last offseason. He’s got some of the best exit velocities I’ve seen in the class. The Mariners need this kind of righty bat in the system.
Again, Tinney gets full-slot money.
#3.101 – LHP, West Virginia, Maxx Yehl
After many years of neglecting lefthanded pitching…the Mariners finally did some promising work drafting Kade Anderson in the 1st and Mason Peters in the 4th round in last year’s draft. Trying to continue that trend I put forth a concentrated effort to find quality LHP in this class. I didn’t find many. So, I’m putting a priority in drafting one early.
Yehl is a big southpaw at 6’6″/235lbs, and has posted a 2.20 ERA, 1.134 WHIP, 11.0 SO/9, and 2.7 BB/9 across eleven starts this year. His fastball maxes at 96mph, but more comfortably 93-95mph, with an armslot that is ideal for pairing a slider.
Full-slot money of $778,200 for Yehl.
#4.129 – SS, Orange Lutheran HS, CJ Weinstein
Weinstein feels very much in Seattle’s wheelhouse on the heels of Cole Young, Colt Emerson, Tai Peete as a lefty-hitting prep shortstop with plus hit tool.
Weinstein is a bit of an overaged high school prospect having just turned 19 this last March. So he may slide a bit in the draft, but because high school players always carry the threat of not signing to go to college; we will need to overslot him. Pick #129 starts at $591,700. I’m going to borrow another $408,300 from later picks to get him up to a cool $1million signing bonus.
#5.162 – RHP, Georgia, Dylan Vigue
For whatever reason, I feel more confident that Vigue is a Mariner type of pitcher than I do Yehl, and a bit more than I do Townsend. Listed 6’3″/230lbs, Vigue has a 2.35 ERA, 1.196 WHIP, 11.0 SO/9, and 4.9 BB/9 across 11 starts and one relief appearance this year for Georgia. The fastball isn’t super high-velo, but he throws with good run, and that plays off nicely with the slider that is moving away from RHB. I think the Seattle pitching lab could improve his velo and control.
It was difficult to find Vigue’s literal school class standing…he played two years at Michigan ’24-’25 before transferring to Georgia this year, so it feels like he may be a true Junior, but he is currently 22 years old and will be turning 23 in December. So age-wise, he looks like a Senior. With that in mind, I’m planning on going underslot on his bonus which is slotted at $429,100. If I can save $200k on him; I’d be in good shape for paying off the overslot money on Weinstein.
#6.191 – OF/DH, Pittsburgh, Lorenzo Carrier
Carrier is for sure a senior sign target as a guy that will be turning 23 in two weeks, and has played two years for Pitt after playing three years for Miami. He’s listed 6’5″/215lbs and he’s hitting .388/.550/1.392 with 18 HR, 61 RBI, 6×6 SB in 45 games this year. I guess the reason he might fall this far is age, and maybe a bit because his future profile probably has him relegated to more of a DH role.
Similar to Tinney; I just would love to get this kind of righthanded bat into the system. I think we offer him $175,000 bonus, which gives us another $160,900 savings that goes back to Weinstein’s signing. We only need to save another $47,400 in rounds 7-10 to
#7.220 – CF, Georgia, Rylan Lujo
Lujo was an interesting find for me. He played exclusively 3B last year for Dayton, but has turned into a pretty serviceable centerfielder this year after tranferring to Georgia. He really kinda feels like righthanded Brendan Donovan, to me. Listed 6’2″/192lbs, he’s hitting .348/.440/1.029 with 7 HR, 29 RBI, 7×8 SB this year for the Bulldogs.
I think we can give Lujo full-slot at $266,100.
#8.250 – SS, Kansas, Tyson Leblanc
Whenever you draft a prep player; chances are good that the Mariners will be slow and cautious to develop him. Especially over the summer of his draft year. What this also means is that you need to draft a college counterpart to the prep player who can begin playing within weeks of the draft. Teams need new draft signees to backfill for player promotions and player releases that come towards the heart of the summer.
Leblanc is listed 6’0″/195lbs and has hit .333/.415/1.077 with 16 HR, 49 RBI, 9×10 SB in 2026 for the Jayhawks. From what I can discern he also plays a solid defensive shortstop, and he might have the clutch gene.
#9.280 – RHP, St Joseph’s, Christian Coppola
Coppola is a big, righthanded reliever who has pitched to a 2.10 ERA, 0.933 WHIP, 17.7 SO/9, and 2.7 BB/9 across 30.0 innings so far in 2026. He is a senior sign as a guy turning 23 in November, who has played two years at Rutgers, one at Arizona, and one at St Joseph’s. Slot is $202,700 and we can offer him $155,300 with no penalties after paying CJ Weinstein overslot money.
#10.310 – RHP,Texas A&M, Clayton Freshcorn
The Mariners have done well to add some high-octane late inning arms in the last few drafts: Brock Moore, Christian Little, Lucas Kelly to name a few. As part of the balance I’m looking for in my mocks; I continue to look to add fresh arms to the pile.
Listed 6’0″/180lbs, Freshcorn has made 20 relief appearances this year resulting in a 1.95 ERA, 1.052 WHIP, 10.6 SO/9, 1.1 BB/9 and 10 saves.
#11.340 – RHP, UNCW, Cooper Allen
Every once in a while, the Mariners get to draft a Seahawk. Allen is a 6’1″/200lb righty for the North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks. In 12 (ahem) starts this year he has posted a 2.60 ERA, 0.952 WHIP, 9.7 SO/9, and 2.1 BB/9.
#12.370- 1B, VMI, Grayson Fitzwater
Fitzwater is a 6’1″/215lb first baseman from VMI hitting .338/.493/1.293 this year with 19 HR, 58 RBI, 11×13 SB in 46 games this year.
#13.400 – LHP, South Alabama, Jaxon Shineflew
Much like finding a lefthanded starter; it was tough to find some lefthanded relievers. Shineflew is 6’2″/175 lbs and has a 4.03 ERA, 1.097 WHIP, 10.5 SO/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
#14.430 – SS, Nebraska, Dylan Carey
It’s always good to get extra shortstops. Carey is 6’2″/210lbs and he’s hitting .356/.424/1.063 with 12 HR and 55 RBI. I love the swing and the launch angle.
#15.480 – RHP, Virginia, Tyler Kapa
The closer for Virginia; Kapa is listed 6’2″/195lbs and has a 1.42 ERA, 0.908 WHIP, 11.4 SO/9, and 11 saves this year. His fastball is up to 96mph with 20″ IVB. Honestly, I should have switched him with Shineflew in the 13th round, but I already added the video hyper links, etc.
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