Mariners 1st-rounder Ace Reese aces the assignment with Ken Griffey Jr. story

If you want to make it as a Seattle Mariner, there are worse ways to start than by rolling into town and kissing Ken Griffey Jr.'s ring. That's what Ace Reese did on Tuesday, at least if you count metaphorical kissing of rings as the real deal.

Exactly 10 days after the Mariners made him the No. 24 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, Reese was in Seattle to officially sign and generally make the rounds. First, batting pactice on the field before the Mariners' tilt with the Cincinnati Reds. And later, a booth interview with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink during the game.

Which brings us to the Griffey ring-kissing, as the 21-year-old Reese recalled in response to a question of how he was molded as a ballplayer growing up: "The coolest story that relates to the Mariners is that, when we were younger, me and my dad would go hit in the cage, and we would just watch Ken Griffey Jr. And we were like, 'Let's try to do that swing.' And then here I am, a Mariner."

Honestly? This is fishy. The "swing like Griffey" thing is very millennial-coded, and Reese (born in 2005) is not a millennial. It's also hard to look at his swing and spot an obvious Griffey influence.

Still, you can't fault Reese for telling the story. It's easy access to ingratiation with the base, if nothing else. And even if it's not apparent in Reese's swing today, that doesn't necessarily mean the story isn't true. Griffey highlights are forever, and his swing is still just so darn evocative. Especially for left-handed-hitting sluggers on the rise like Reese, there's really no avoiding giving it a shot.

Scott Boras is already hyping Ace Reese's Mariners future

Of course, batting practice and the interview were Reese's victory lap. He was mainly at T-Mobile Park on business, as he agreed to terms on a $3.5 million signing bonus that was negotiated by his new agent, Scott Boras. He was also present, and doing his usual Boras thing.

“Power in the big leagues, and power in Seattle, is a commodity — and certainly Ace brings that,” Boras said, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “You can see he’s got man strength when you come in this ballpark and you can put him in the seats just like the major leaguers can.”

No lies detected here. Reese is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and he got drafted where he did largely because of his reputation for destroying baseballs as Mississippi State's third baseman. It's a big reason why we have him ranked as Seattle's No. 7 prospect. Baseball America even did us two better, putting Reese at No. 5.

Fair warning, though: It's a good idea to get used to disagreement over Reese's potential. The power is going to play. What's less clear is where he fits defensively, and how consistent he'll be at the plate. He's a high-ceiling, low-floor type.

As far as he or anyone else is concerned right now, though, his whole future is ahead of him. He probably won't be the next Griffey, but nobody's asking for that. All anyone wants is dingers, and Reese can and hopefully will provide.

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