Final MLB mock drafts land Mariners unexpected heirs for Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor

The Seattle Mariners hold the No. 24 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and the smart money is on them taking a pitcher. The smarter money is on a college pitcher, which would be a case of Jerry Dipoto going to a well he knows, er, well. The truth, though, is that not even the team knows what it'll do.

“This year, we probably have about 14,” Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter told Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, in reference to how many players are on the team's board for the No. 24 pick. “It’s just that wide open.”

So, might as well add Ace Reese and Ryder Helfrick to the pile of possibilities.

Of all the names that have been mocked to the Mariners, they're two new ones courtesy of FanSided and FanGraphs. As both are hitters from the college ranks, either would mark a departure from the norm under Dipoto. He hasn't used his highest pick in a draft on a college bat since Evan White at No. 17 in 2017.

Regardless, you can see the appeal of both players. Helfrick is one of the top catchers of this year's class, with plus ratings for his arm, defense and power according to MLB Pipeline. Reece has even more power, to a point where it's under consideration for best in class.

Helfrick is a catcher all the way, whereas Reese is a third baseman who profiles better at first base on account of his size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) and below-average speed. So if you're thinking "a future replacement for Cal Raleigh or Josh Naylor," that's simultaneously an oversimplification, an aggressive presumption, and on the right track.

Yes, Raleigh and Naylor are locked up through 2030. But they'll both be 33 by then, and there's already cause to wonder if either will age gracefully. In total, they've been worth -0.3 rWAR for the Mariners this season.

It's never too early for the Mariners to think ahead with their offense

Pitching-wise, the Mariners are already built for the long haul. Though Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo will be free agents after 2027, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock are under club control through at least 2028. Meanwhile, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are the best duo of pitching prospects in the league, and Mason Peters looks like a huge find in his own right.

The future of the offense, on the other hand, is a bit more of a black box.

Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford are due for free agency this winter, while Dominic Canzone is another guy who'll be into his 30s by the time he gets to the end of his club control in 2029. The Mariners therefore aren't far off from having to think about who'll support Julio Rodríguez, Cole Young and Colt Emerson as they chug away at their primes.

You can already squint and see an answer involving some combination of Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo, Jonny Farmelo and Felnin Celesten, plus Luke Stevenson as the guy with first dibs on being Raleigh's heir behind the plate. Otherwise, you can take it from Baseball America that Seattle's farm system has a not-so-hidden flaw: It's not very deep.

If the answer to that in the 2026 draft ends up being "more bats," the Mariners of tomorrow could be grateful for it.

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