Brian O'Connor is one of the most legendary college baseball coaches in history, and he stopped by the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.
On Saturday, the Seattle Mariners selected Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese with the No. 24 overall pick in the MLB Draft.
Reese is a power-hitting, left-handed slugger who hit 24 homers for the Bulldogs this past season. There are some questions about where he'll ultimately play defensively, but the power is not a question.
And for a Mariners team that has lacked offensive firepower for much of the last decade, the idea of Reese blasting balls out of T-Mobile Park is a welcome thought.
At Mississippi State, Reese spent the last year playing for the legendary head coach, Brian O'Connor.
A Hall of Famer, O'Connor previously spent 22 seasons at Virginia, where he won the national championship in 2015 and made 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament runs.
He joined the most recent edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast to talk about what the M's are getting in Reese.
Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese fields a ball and throws to first for an out in the SEC Tournament game between Georgia and Mississippi State at the Hoover Met. Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images"Well, I've got to tell you, Brady, first and foremost, I'm stunned that he lasted to the Mariners. So, good for the Mariners, right?
I was shocked that it took so long for this guy to get drafted. So I think it's a huge win for the Mariners.
You know, just a really, really high-level player. (I) Have been, you know, you referenced it, Brady, have been doing this for a number of years and coaching in college baseball. This guy absolutely is one of the top three performers from an offensive standpoint that I've had in my career and arguably the best power hitter that I've had in my time in coaching.
And so, just really excited for Ace to start his professional career because I just think that he's got the ability to be there in Seattle in a very, very short period."
That will certainly be welcome news to Mariners fans who want to see the team's window of contention remain open for a long time. This weekend, M's amateur scouting director Scott Hunter spoke about what they saw in Reese.
And while the Mariners seem to have Cole Young and Colt Emerson set in the middle infield for years to come, they do not have a long-term answer at third base. If Reese can stay at that position, he could be that answer.
The Mariners will open up the second half of the season on Friday night against the San Francisco Giants at T-Mobile Park. Our own Teren Kowatsch gave a comprehensive recap of the draft here.
Of note
The newest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is now out! We talk about the perception of Randy Arozarena, and Mississippi State baseball coach Brian O'Connor stops by to talk about Ace Reese, who the Mariners drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft. You can listen here, or you can watch the YouTube player below.
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