Dark side of Ace Reese's amazing pro debut needs to send Mariners to drawing board

The Seattle Mariners are still licking their wounds after being eliminated from the 2026 playoffs on Thursday, but "Wait 'til next year" is still the best rallying cry we've got. And if nothing else, one constant in the Jerry Dipoto era is being able to ooh and aah over all the talented prospects working their way up the ranks.

Ace Reese is one of them, albeit the one who presents the biggest dilemma. Just about three months out from the draft, it's already clear how much of a delight it is to see him hit. Unfortunately, it's likewise already clear that the same can't be said of his fielding.

In what sure feels like a moral victory, Carlos Collazo of Baseball America has Reese in the No. 1 spot among the 2026 draftees who made the strongest pro debuts following the draft in July. He hit .440/.530/.667 with 11 extra-base hits in 21 games for Single-A Inland Empire, thereby improving on the 1.152 OPS he had at Mississippi State prior to getting drafted at No. 24 overall.

Given his supposition that Reese was one of the three best hitters in the country, you can practically see scouting director Scott Hunter pumping his fist. And Collazo's report confirms Reese's results as legit. His contact rates and contact quality (i.e., a 102.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity) stood out as well.

Whether Ace Reese is cut out for third base is a question the Mariners must already be wrestling with

There's just one problem: Reese is a third baseman, and the noise that he doesn't belong there is only getting louder.

This was readily apparent for anyone who bothered to look, as Reese somehow committed 10 errors in just 17 games at the hot corner for the 66ers. Even if "E" is not the scarlet letter it used to be, you never want to see any stat that maps onto bad reviews on the part of experts.

To this end, MLB Pipeline has Reese rated as a 45 fielder on the 20-to-80 scale and Collazo writes that the 21-year-old must improve "his hands, his throwing accuracy and his internal clock." So, basically everything.

Reese is listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and he's only likelier to get beefier as he bulks up in pursuit of even more power. So while MLB Pipeline alludes to a possible future in left field, it could be far-fetched. Want to know how many guys his size or bigger played 100-plus games in the outfield this season? Just five.

First base is the better bet just on those grounds, though that's where the Mariners have to decide whether they willfully want to create a collision course with Josh Naylor. Unless they trade him, he's signed through 2030. Given how he hit the ground running, Reese could be along in 2028 or perhaps sooner if he gets the Nick Kurtz treatment.

A problem for another day, perhaps, but it should be on the Mariners' radar anyway. The alternative is keeping blinders on and hoping for Reese as a solution for third base. Tempting, given that there is no long-term plan at the position. But potentially, very bad for both player and team.

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