The Seattle Mariners concluded the 2026 MLB Draft with generally favorable reviews with regards to their 20 selections.

The Mariners will have the vast majority of their draft selections report to minicamp at their spring training facility in Peoria, Ariz., but will be without two of their selections: 18th round outfielder Dominic Santarelli from St. Joseph Catholic High School in Kenosha, Wis., and 20th-round pick Connor Shouse (Texas Tech).

Santarelli is committed to LSU and will choose to honor his commitment rather than reporting and signing with Seattle. 

For highly-rated high schoolers committed to Power Four programs, it's not rare for them to go the collegiate route and bet on themselves to be picked higher in future drafts.

However, Shouse, who entered the transfer portal and committed to Arkansas this offseason, will also be choosing to stay in college rather than sign with the M's.

For a player with collegiate experience who hears his name called in the draft, it's more uncommon to see them forego a professional experience. But Shouse's decision highlights a relatively new struggle that Seattle and other major league clubs are navigating: the existence of Name, Image and Likeness deals in college athletics.

With the current NIL era of college athletics, a lot of players have opportunities to earn more money staying in college than going professional if they're selected later in the draft.

On the flip end of the situation with Shouse, the team was able to sign pitchers Drew Whalen (Auburn) and Chris Diaz (Florida Gulf Coast), who also had big-money NIL offers from SEC schools. Whalen was coming off Tommy John surgery and had an opportunity to sign back with Auburn and Diaz committed to Arkansas via the transfer portal.

"(Whalen was) another situation where we were battling NIL money," Seattle vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said after the draft Sunday. "Because he did have Tommy John surgery, or internal brace surgery, after two or three starts. ... (Our scouts) felt like he moved like a starter, had really good stuff. ... We were able to get into that territory where he wanted to go play and rehab with us." 

The success in signing Whalen and Diaz could have long-term positive effects for the Mariners down the road. Hunter said both pitchers appeared to have decent stuff and could be brought up as starting pitchers within the organization.

Regardless of Seattle's win and losses against NIL offers, it seems like it will be a constant battle with the organization and college programs to land certain prospects. That battle can grow more complicated if MLB's proposed amateur draft changes in the Collective Bargaining Agreement comes to pass.

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