Ace Reese Gives the Mariners a Dynamite Left Side of the Infield
Photo Credit: The Seattle Times
The MLB Draft is an extremely long process. When everything concludes, you can begin to sift and dissect what picks you like the most. There is a laundry list of picks that I am a favorite of, especially in the later rounds. One of my favorite picks in the first round was Ace Reese, who landed with the Seattle Mariners. This pick was a complete slam dunk for the Mariners and for their long term outlook, solidifies their left side of the infield.
The real work begins now for Reese. He was one of the first players to sign after the draft concluded and signed for $3.5 million. His slot value is $3.8 million. There is a lot to be excited about here if you are Mariners fans because the type of player they are getting is an impactful one.
Reese had a monstrous season at Mississippi State. He took the next steps forward in his collegiate career and led to a very big season. He slashed .336/.432/.721 with a 1.152 OPS and 144 wRC+. When you dive into the scouting reports and what shapes the player, power is his carrying tool, something the Mariners lineup could use.
Reese has a 60 power grade out of 65. This is a player who’s hit 20+ home runs the last two seasons in college and managed to set a career best 24 this past season. He capitalizes on his RBI opportunities too. What stands out is his isolated power rose 19 points (.366 to .385) and he maintained his wOBA in the .470 range. He has proven to be a slugger and that’s the massive part of his game.
Photo Credit: 643Charts on X
Reese will give this team walks and the ability to get on base. He might come with strikeouts, but the ability to put together competitive at bats and draw those walks is huge. When it comes to the left side of the infield, it’s the defense. Reese primarily played third base and is the position he could be pegged to slot at for the Mariners.
When it comes to the defense, Reese has a 50 arm grade, and a 45 field grade. Some scouts do have concerns about his agility and lateral movement regarding the position. Manning the hot corner is extremely important and having an elite third baseman goes a very long ways. There is a chance too that Reese could swap to the other side of the diamond and shift to first base, which just equally improves the right side of the infield as it would the left. Here’s why.
The Mariners have a budding duo that anchors the middle of their infield right now. Cole Young from a defensive standpoint has been one of the best defensive second baseman in the entire league. Young is tied with JJ Wetherholt for the most defensive runs saved among second baseman (11) and is a positive defender with two outs above average. His bat has been good, slashing .253/.313/.394/.707.
Colt Emerson has taken the mantle at the shortstop position, as JP Crawford has taken the shift over to third. Emerson cooled down a bit over his strong start when he got called up, but development even at the MLB level isn't linear. He hasn’t lit it on fire like Young has, but he’s an extremely athletic player and is going to play the position well.
This is a very athletic group of players and the chemistry they could have together is going to be very fun to watch. The Mariners do have veteran presence for their core, but they are clearly injecting youth into the team.
Reese was a great pick and will make this core so much better when his time comes. This trio could also be a very fun trio down the stretch and a great set of building blocks.