Mariners concluded Day 1 of 2026 MLB Draft by testing fans’ faith in organization

In some respects, the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft mirrored a Mariners season which has seen them mostly hover around the .500 mark. A season where positives and negatives are never too far away from each other. Along these lines, while the first two picks at No. 24 and No. 59 were surprisingly good, you can contend that the M's reached with their third and fourth round selections.

This is not to make it seem like we are criticizing two players the second they become members of the Mariners organization. Just to point out that Nathan Taylor had a pre-draft slot of 215 by MLB Pipeline, while Trevor Lucas wasn't even afforded a ranking.

Trying to see what the Mariners see in Nathan Taylor and Trevor Lucas

In any event, let's delve into the two new additions:

Nathan Taylor, RHP - Round 3, 101st overall

Of the two, we have more confidence in Taylor's ability to develop, just based on the Mariners' track record with pitchers during the Jerry Dipoto regime in Seattle. The best example of this success is Bryan Woo, who had no pre-draft ranking in 2021, was selected by the M's in the sixth round, and last season became the team's staff ace.

Taylor has the distinction of being the highest right-handed pitcher ever drafted out of the University of Cincinnati. He became a member of their rotation as a freshman in 2024, and even though he struggled during that first year, he ended up becoming one of the most successful pitchers in school history. His 22 wins are first all time, while his 276 strikeouts rank third.

This past season saw the 21-year-old go 7-3 in 16 starts, in the process producing a 3.60 ERA, 115 strikeouts, 1.189 WHIP and .235 opposing team batting average in 90.0 innings. He ranked fourth-lowest in the Big-12 in ERA, fifth in strikeouts and seventh-best in opposing team batting average. As a result, he earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.

Taylor makes for a potentially imposing presence on the mound, standing at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds. His best weapon is a mid-80s slider which accounted for 80 of his strikeouts this past season. He's know for being able to eat innings, but pending his ability to better develop the fastball, it's possible he could end up being turned into a reliever.

Trevor Lucas, 3B - Round 4, 129th overall

As noted above, Lucas had no pre-draft slot, while Baseball America ranked him 414th. In theory, the Mariners could have held off on drafting him until a later round, so the fact they did pick him so high, alludes to Dipoto and company seeing some enticing potential. Heck, perhaps he was fated to join the organization, given he played at University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where the baseball team is called the Seahawks.

The 21-year-old might not be a power bat, but what he does do extremely well is make contact with the ball. This past season he had a .312/.429/.556 slash line, .985 OPS and 140 wRC+. His 12 home runs and 56 RBI both led the team, he had 20 multiple-hit games and recorded a 19-game on-base streak.

What really helps Lucas be so productive at the plate, is his patient and focused approach. This is reflected in a 13.5 K% and 14.7 BB%, and we're sure the Mariners are particularly enthralled by the former, given the team's constant issue with high strikeout rates in recent seasons. He just comes across as having calm and experience beyond his years.

Lucas has proven to be very durable, playing in every game during his two years at University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Defensively, his combination of hands, positional sense and arm strength give him the makings of a very solid third baseman. Overall, he's the kind of player you want to root for and despite being overlooked pre-draft, we're sure he'll be determined to justify the Mariners' faith in selecting him so high.

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