As the 2026 MLB Draft nears, Mississippi State third baseman Ace Reese is increasingly tied to the Nationals at No. 11

The Washington Nationals’ early draft storyline is starting to lean more heavily toward Mississippi State hitter Ace Reese, as mock drafts and prospect commentary increasingly place the Bulldogs’ third baseman in play with the club’s No. 11 overall selection. The MLB Draft is approaching quickly, and as teams move from possibility to probability, analysts are updating their projections. In this latest round of chatter, Reese’s college track record has been the main reason his name is showing up more often alongside Washington at the top of the order.

According to Yahoo Sports, multiple recent mock drafts have connected Reese to Washington’s pick at 11. The report notes that for a stretch the Nationals were more frequently associated with a high school two-way player, Jared Grindlinger, but the tone appears to be shifting toward a college hitter as the draft date gets closer. Yahoo also frames the connection as more than generic interest, referencing MLB Pipeline’s view that the Nationals “like” Reese.

Reese’s appeal, as described in the report, is rooted in production and the kind of bat profile that can travel quickly to pro pitching. After transferring from Houston to Mississippi State following his freshman year, Reese allegedly arrived and performed at a high level right away. Yahoo Sports reports that in his first Mississippi State season he hit.352 with 21 home runs and a 1.140 OPS. The follow-up, per the same account, was another strong year, with a.336 average, 24 home runs, and a 1.152 OPS.

The bat is only part of the evaluation. Reese is currently listed as a third baseman, and the report characterizes him as a 6-foot-4 slugger whose speed and defense are “fringy.” That leads to a central draft-room question, one that often comes up with power-first players who might not have a clean long-term fit at the hot corner. Yahoo suggests Reese has a chance to stick at third base, but also lays out the realistic possibility of a move to first base, in part because Washington would be “buying the bat” if Reese’s offensive value is expected to outweigh positional compromises.

Even within the positive assessment, the report identifies a specific offensive risk. Yahoo points to a tendency to chase pitches, noting that in each of the last two seasons Reese chased more than the average hitter. It also says his contact numbers took a slight step back this year, though it stops short of characterizing his hit tool as poor. In other words, the projection is not simply about whether Reese can hit for power, but whether he can sustain enough contact discipline to keep elite power translating into consistently strong on-base and run-production rates.

For Washington, the broader implication is roster-building. A high draft pick at 11 represents a premium opportunity to reshape the pipeline of middle-of-the-diamond talent, whether through a position player with immediate offensive upside or a longer-term bet. Reese’s profile, as framed by mock-draft consensus, aligns with a strategy built around bringing a high-ceiling bat into the system, even if the defensive path is less certain. The Nationals are also reportedly adjusting their early draft targets as the draft gets close, and the movement from a high school two-way focus toward a college hitter underscores how quickly evaluations can tighten when teams finalize their decision models.

What to watch next is whether this Reese-to-Washington pairing holds as the draft approaches and more outlets update their boards. Mock drafts are not commitments, but they can reflect what teams are prioritizing in the final stretch, especially when a player’s college résumé is central to the conversation. If the Nationals continue to be linked to Reese at No. 11, it would report that the organization is leaning into the comfort of proven SEC production and the likelihood that Reese’s power will be worth the positional questions.