Two cousins from Northeast Ohio have mirroring journeys to the big leagues as they both sign with the Seattle Mariners.
Two former Ohio State Buckeyes realize their dreams at the professional level as they both make it onto the Seattle Mariners roster.
Former Buckeyes catcher Mason Eckleman was selected in the eighth round by the Mariners, and former shortstop Henry Kaczmar signed a free-agent deal to also join the Mariners organization.
The connection that these two have runs almost as deep as it possibly could. These two Buckeye stars are actually first cousins, and they have had nearly identical baseball journeys.
Both of them came up in Northeast Ohio and were critical pieces of one of the best high school programs in the entire state of Ohio, the Walsh Jesuit Warriors. They both enrolled at Ohio State as freshmen and were critical members of the team through their first two years.
Then, in their third year, Kaczmar hit the transfer portal and landed at the University of South Carolina. He spent one year down south before he came back to Columbus for his final season on the diamond.
Together, both of them nearly willed the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten and make the NCAA Tournament, but it wasn't meant to be in 2026. However, in the next couple of seasons, when the Buckeyes' program is turned around and competing for the conference and nationally, they will look back to the 2026 season as the year the culture shifted.
Eckleman batted an astounding .304 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs while Kaczmar became one of the real leaders of the team, trying to will them to a postseason run.
Kaczmar batted .316 with 12 long balls, 26 doubles, and 47 RBIs. Down the stretch of the season, he really showed his importance on the Buckeyes team as he was critical at the shortstop position and elevated his game at the plate. If it weren't for Kaczmar, the Buckeyes would have been on the outside looking in for the Big Ten tournament. Instead, they entertained a mini-run that almost got them into the leader's bracket.
Now, as the two embark on the next chapter of their baseball career, they get to do it together as cousins. It all changes now as they basically lose all control of their destinations from now on, but their amazing story continues. A story that spent significant time in Columbus, Ohio.
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