Two Bulldogs Taken During First Day Of MLB Draft
July 11, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – A pair of Mississippi State players had their dreams come true during the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.
Third baseman Ace Reese was selected 24th overall by the Seattle Mariners while reliever Ben Davis went in the fourth round (104th overall) to the Colorado Rockies.
Reese is the 21st Bulldog to be selected in the first round and the first since Jurrangelo Cijntje in 2024, who coincidently was also drafted by the Mariners. The junior from Canton, Texas is the highest third baseman drafted in school history.
The 2026 unanimous All-American started 118 games during his two seasons in Starkville where he hit .341 with 40 doubles, one triple, 45 home runs, 138 RBIs and a 1.144 OPS. Reese, who began his career at Houston, batted .336 this past spring with 24 homers and 74 RBIs while leading the Southeastern Conference with 23 doubles. He joined Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro as the only Diamond Dawgs to hit 20-plus homers in back-to-back seasons.
Reese's home run tally in 2026 ranks fourth in a single season in school history while his 45 homers over the past two years are tied for ninth all-time at MSU. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder was a two-time All-SEC first teamer as well as the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year. He received 10 All-America honors during his time in Maroon and White.
Davis also played two seasons in Starkville after transferring in as a two-way player from Itawamba Community College. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander worked solely on the mound for MSU pitching in 49 games (four starts). He went 4-4 with a 3.71 earned run average and six saves while striking out 118 and walking 38 over 104 1/3 innings.
The Booneville senior was selected second team All-SEC this season. He made 26 appearances – all out of the bullpen - going 0-2 with five saves and a 3.64 ERA, 57 strikeouts and 14 walks across 47 frames.
Davis is the 15th pitcher from State that has been selected over the past three drafts. He is also first Diamond Dawg to be picked by the Rockies since Brad Cumbest in 2022.
The MLB Draft will conclude with rounds 5-20 on Sunday starting at 10:30 a.m. and streaming on MLB.com.
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