With the MLB draft quickly approaching, we at LL conclude our draft profiles with a culmination of “everybody else”. Many of these players will be drafted before the Mariners pick, many will be drafted after, and hopefully one of them will wind up putting pen to paper with M’s by the end of next week. In case you missed our prior coverage, check out our other writeups here.
Mason Edwards – LHP, USC
The strikeout king of college baseball this past season (by a wide margin), Edwards brings some incredibly
loud stuff on the mound despite rather mundane velocity. The lefthander uses a very high arm slot to get massive ride on his fastball, and both his breaker and changeup each possess some unique shapes that have gotten a ton of whiff throughout his college career. The walks ticked up slightly this season, but he is undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in this class.
Zion Rose – LF, Louisville
A high-contact corner outfielder at present, Rose was actually a catcher in high school despite possessing plus speed and an average arm. Rose has shown a propensity to barrel the ball and rarely strikes out, though some evaluators have questioned whether his top-end power will be enough to play in a corner spot as it’s closer to average than plus. His speed on the bases absolutely plays and he’ll be a stolen base threat that lashes line drives at the professional level, but elevating the ball with authority (which could come through a change in approach) should be an emphasis for him early in his career. It’s not terribly dissimilar from a young version of Michael Arroyo, though Arroyo was just promoted to Triple-A at the same age that Rose will be drafted.
Daniel Jackson – C, Georgia
A highly athletic catcher that burst on to the scene in 2026, Jackson is a Golden Spikes finalist and is a popular name in the back half of the first round. Posting 32 homers and 26 stolen bases, Jackson’s power-speed combination made him the first SEC player to post a 30-25 season and the first ever catcher to do so at the DI level. There’s legitimate whiff concerns, but the M’s just took a big-school catcher with essentially the same exact offensive profile last season in Luke Stevenson, potentially making him an attractive option based on their internal evaluations.
Sawyer Strosnider – CF, TCU
Strosnider tests extremely well athletically and possesses perhaps the best power-speed combination in this class. A twitchy left-handed swing produces tremendous raw exit velocities, but Strosnider’s zone judgement is subpar at present and he’s prone to swing and miss. It’s a clean swing that produced in each of his college seasons, and in all honesty, he’d need to slide quite a bit in order to get to the M’s first pick at 24. He’s been a buzzy name for a while now and could potentially sneak his way into the top ten, but if he gets to the Mariners, he’d be a very fun player to dream on.
AJ Gracia – CF, Virginia
Probably the bat the M’s want to fall to them most and subsequently the least likely of anyone on today’s list to actually be available, Gracia was a candidate for the 1.1 preseason, but a minor injury sidelined him for a few weeks and his numbers didn’t pop quite as much as evaluators were hoping for. Arguably the bat with the highest chance to possess both plus contact and plus power, Gracia, a centerfielder at present, is more of a left fielder long term and should be a capable defender in that spot. He doesn’t have the top end speed you like to see from someone playing up the middle and his arm is average at best, but every other facet of his game is so polished it’s likely he’ll be gone by the middle of the first round. A tall, athletic outfielder with as safe of an offensive profile as there is is hard to argue with, and if he somehow found his way to 24, the M’s should absolutely jump at the opportunity to make him a Mariner.
Trevor Condon – CF, Etowah Highschool
Yet another name that’s gotten a ton of love over the past few weeks, Condon is one of the few prep players that could profile into the range the M’s select at and possesses incredibly loud tools. One of the fastest players in the class that mans centerfield masterfully, Condon’s bat-to-ball approach with sound pitch selection should make him an ideal table-setter atop any lineup. Teams love prep bats in the first round, and this year’s relative lack of them likely gets Condon selected before the M’s will have a chance to, but he’s reportedly a popular option in-house and could easily be the guy if he’s still available.
Hunter Dietz – LHP, Arkansas
A physically imposing lefthander that can pump triple digit heat, Dietz pitched his first full season this year after dealing with injuries in years prior, making him a relatively fresh arm on a total innings basis. The Razorback throws four pitches as of now, though the heater and breakingball have done most of the heavy lifting to this point. Dietz has some effort in his delivery and carries some relief risk because of it, though a high octane lefty with massive strikeout numbers ultimately give him a relatively safe floor if a move to the ‘pen does ultimately happen. He’s typically mocked anywhere from 15-30 and should fit nicely into the Mariners’ draft pocket.
Taylor Rabe – RHP, Ole Miss
A recent riser on draft boards, Taylor Rabe was rotationmates with another potential first rounder covered previously on the site and carries a complete four-pitch mix that’s headlined by a fastball that touches 99 mph. The calling card for Rabe is his command; one of the best strikethrowers in the country, Rabe finished fourth in the nation with a 7.00 K/BB ratio, and his high octane heater to pair with it has scouts bullish on his future. His shapes are rather mundane and his feel for spin isn’t great, but if a pitching lab can unlock some improved results on the secondaries, Rabe could be an incredibly compelling arm.
Chase Brunson – CF, Chase Brunson
One of the most well-rounded bats in this draft, Brunson represents something of a “safe” option in the sense that he does everything well, but fails to separate any one tool as exceptional. A solid centerfield defender that could easily transition to right if need be, Brunson has above average power and average contact ability that should make him a consistent 20-homer threat long term. He’s not the most adjustable at the plate, but the overall athlete and traits should have him selected in the first 30 picks or so. He’s a very talented player.
Ace Reese – LF/3B, Mississippi State
A popular name up and down the first round right now, nailing down where Ace Reese will wind up being selected is a challenging endeavor for evaluators right now. On one hand, Reese is one of the more polished hitters in college baseball; he’s shown the ability to hit for both contact and power consistently in the past. That said, his contact rates took a hit this season and his overall approach got more passive, drastically spiking his walk rates but presumably playing into his increase in whiff. It’s a fringy defensive profile that lacks a definitive home, but if his bat returns to 2025 levels (a bet that seems rather reasonable), it’s a bat worthy of a pick significantly higher than 24th overall.
Taj Marchand – SS, James Island Highschool
The only other high schooler covered in today’s roundup, Marchand is somewhat of a polarizing player in this year’s class. Having posted some amazing numbers against premium competition for the past calendar year, Marchand’s ultra-aggressive approach and unorthodox swing have left evaluators unsure of how his game will play at the next level. He’s got a lot of moving parts that will likely have to be cleaned up as he goes through the lower ranks of the minors, but should the swing sort itself out, there’s a ton to like in this profile. Great projection, innate power, and good speed at a premium position is tough to find when picking in the back half of the first round, and given how often he’s made contact in the past, the numbers suggest the M’s should be all over this player at this pick. Whether their internal scouts and player development believe in the swing and projection enough is yet to be seen, but should he be the pick, he’d fit right into a loaded crop of young infield talent.
Ben Blair – RHP, Liberty
Closing out with a hyper-funky starting pitcher that posted some of the best numbers in the country, Blair throws from an ultra-low slot and has a herky jerky motion on the mound, though he repeats it well and gets deep into starts frequently. There’s inarguably some massive relief risk here as the delivery is atypical for that of a starter, but his results have undeniably been excellent, and his combination of stuff, size, and command is hard to compete with. Just behind Rabe in terms of K/BB ratio, if the M’s think he’ll be a starter at the next level, it’s possible they could cut a deal with Blair and see if they could take a few major swings on prep talent in the ensuing rounds.
