By Jared Stanger
MLB has just finished up its annual amateur draft combine earlier this week, and we’re now two weeks out from day one of the 2026 Draft. The Combine brought to light some names I hadn’t studied closely (if at all), and reclarified some names I’ve had interest in off and on through this spring. So I thought I would put these names together in a new mock draft.
I’m still thinking the thesis of my last mock has some very strong grounding. Going into a potential MLB labor stoppage, and certainly some unknown changes under a new CBA; the 2026 Draft may be the league’s last chance to draft amateurs the way they currently can. It might be, not only the best way to hack this draft, but the best way to hack the next several years of drafts, is to go really hard this year on prep players. My goal is to find four prep players in this draft, and set up the timeline on another wave of player development.
I, personally, am still thinking that drafting prep LHP Carson Bolemon might be the best single pick the Mariners could make at #1.24. This, however, would be fairly unprecedented in the Jerry Dipoto era where the team has never drafted a prep pitcher higher than pick #55 overall. Plus, there is some national reporting that Seattle is specifically targeting a college pitcher, and another report talks about them looking to make an underslot pick that can help them finance overslot picks in later rounds. I don’t hate that.
So this mock is basically what it might look like to go underslot, college pitcher at #24, and then go hard on prep players thereafter.
#1.24 – RHP, UCLA, Logan Reddemann
Reddemann has had a pretty volatile spring…going from a guy looking at potential top 10 overall early in the season, then missing roughly six weeks at the end of the season with arm fatigue that dropped him down to late first to early second projection…after recently throwing a bullpen going about 90% at the Combine; he might be back on the rise up. I think this guy is maybe the second-best college pitcher in the class, so I’d be psyched to get him. He’s got a deep repertoire…he’s got velocity…he’s got control…if he was lefthanded, he’d be the perfect pick.
#2.65 – OF, Marist HS, Martin Shelar
The precedent for Seattle is really to look for prep, bat-first, lefthanded, shortstop types…which I was taking a long-hard look at. This draft has got some intriguing HS shortstops like Rocco Maniscalco, Will Plunkett, Taj Marchand. I actually really like that group. But as I watched some of the Draft Combine, I couldn’t help myself but to think, “is this the year to find a prep, righthanded, power-hitter?”
I’d previously been toying with the idea of Blake Bowen, but it was nearly impossible to repeat draft simulations where I could get him at #65. The Combine added some names with the same profile that could make it easier to plan for this strategy to be plausible. Guys like James Tronstein, Genson Veras, and Shelar. As I’ve dug into more of these guys, it has been Shelar that has risen to the top.
#3.101 – RHP, Georgia, Dylan Vigue
Vigue was a guy I was picking in my earlier mock drafts, but as the college season progressed he had started to have some difficult outings where his control was betraying him, which led to him center-cutting too many pitches, that SEC hitting was crushing. The Combine was a good reminder of what he does bring to the table: a plus sinker and a plus sweeper combo. I think this is a guy the Mariner pitching lab will like, and more importantly he’s a guy that they could probably polish up. I’m happy to have him back in the mock.
#4.129 – RHP, UCLA Cal Randall
In 2018 the Mariners drafted a Logan in the first round and a Cal in the third round; so why not run it back to run it forward?? What could go wrong? And they both happen to come from the same UCLA team. Total serendipity.
Randall might have the most upside of any pure reliever in this draft. The fastball is already 100mph and he struck out 16.5 batters per nine innings for the season. This could be a fast mover through the minors.
#5.162 – SS, Magnolia Heights HS, Christian Doty
After passing on the shortstop options in the second round; I wanted to find one with sneaky upside and a lower bonus demand in the middle rounds. I think Doty might be perfect.
#6.191 – LHP, Stony Brook, Micah Worley
Worley has been on my LHP shortlist for a while, but when I saw him catching 98mph at the Combine; I was sold. Listed 6’5″/230lbs, Worley posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.255 WHIP, 12.1 SO/9 and 4.0 BB/9 across 14 starts this year.
#7.220 – 1B/C, Miami, Alex Sosa
Sosa has been in my mocks before this, but in this version the fact that he has experience as a catcher becomes more relevant, as catcher has been sacrificed from the top ten rounds in favor of youth. Instead of a catcher in the top six rounds like I generally go for; in this mock I might end up going with quantity of catcher picks over quality.
#8.250 – RHP, Memorial HS, Cash Scarborough
I found Scarborough by sort of reverse-engineering the mock based on the bonus available, then scouting players that are projected to sign for that bonus amount in the simulator. Scarborough is a shorter pitcher listed 5’10″/190lbs. That seems too short, but Seattle did draft 5’11” Jurrangelo Cjintje in the first round two years ago. Marcus Stroman would be another hopeful comp.
The fastball is the current carry pitch for Cash and it has been up to 96mph with ride, and he also throws a promising slider.
#9.280 – OF, Pittsburgh, Lorenzo Carrier
Carrier has been a longtime member of my 2026 mocks, but I keep having to push him down my board due to his age in order prioritize other players.
#10.310 – RHP, Olathe West HS, Max Hamilton
Hamilton is one of my favorite players in the last two mocks I’ve done. I love when you’re digging in crates and you find a hidden gem. Any bonus savings I have in the first nine rounds I would push towards Hamilton to secure him away from his college commitment.
#11.340 – RHP, Oregon State, Isaac Yeager
#12.370 – C, Notre Dame, Mark Quatrani
#13.400 – SS, Nebraska, Dylan Carey
#14.430 – OF, Xavier, Clay Burdette
#15.460 – OF, Miami Ohio, Tommy Harrison
#16.490 – 1B, Baylor, Tyce Armstrong
#17.520 – LHP, Bowling Green, Ethan Stade
#18.550 – RHP, Clemson, Hayden Simmerson
#19.580 – OF, Northeastern, Harrison Feinberg
#20.610 – 3B, Toledo Troy Sudbrook
Seattle Seamocks 