Signing bonuses for Mississippi State baseball players, signees in 2026 MLB Draft
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STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball had four players picked in the 2026 MLB Draft.
All four of them, highlighted by Ace Reese to the Seattle Mariners, have signed pro contracts before the July 27 deadline. Their signing bonuses combined for $4.16 million, according to MLB.com's database.
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The Bulldogs also had four signees drafted, three of which signed. The only signee not to sign was pitcher Denton Lord, a 17th-round pick by the San Diego Padres. Lord announced during the first day of the draft that he'd be playing for MSU instead of signing a pro contract.
Here are all the signing bonuses for Mississippi State's draft picks.
Mississippi State players selected in 2026 MLB Draft
All signing bonuses are according to the MLB.com database.
Ace Reese
Drafted: Seattle Mariners, Round 1 (No. 24 overall)
Pick value: $3.82 million
Signing bonus: $3.5 million
What to know: Reese signed for slightly under his slot value, just like most college draft picks in the first round. He had college eligibility remaining but was not expected to use it since he was projected as a first-round pick.
Ben Davis
Drafted: Colorado Rockies, Round 4 (No. 104 overall)
Pick value: $755,300
Signing bonus: $447,500
What to know: Davis signed for below his slot value because he didn't have any leverage to return to Mississippi State. He was mostly a relief pitcher at MSU with a plus-fastball that enticed the Rockies to draft him with the first pick of the fourth round.
Bryce Chance
Drafted: Toronto Blue Jays, Round 10 (No. 312 overall)
Pick value: $191,900
Signing bonus: $2,500
What to know: Chance signed for well below his slot value as a fifth-year senior. He was a former walk-on turned into a multi-year starter in the outfield.
Aidan Teel
Drafted: Minnesota Twins, Round 11 (No. 317 overall)
Pick value: $150,000
Signing bonus: $210,000
What to know: The slot values stay flat at $150,000 after Round 10, though Teel signed for slightly over at $210,000. Teel could've returned for another season but opted to sign instead.
Mississippi State signees selected in 2026 MLB Draft
Rocco Maniscalco
Drafted: St. Louis Cardinals, Round 2 (No. 50 overall)
Pick value: $1.98 million
Signing bonus: $3.2 million
What to know: Maniscalco was Mississippi State's first signee drafted and signed for much higher than the slot value. He was one of the youngest players in the draft, so it wasn't a surprise to see him command a high value.
Will Brick
Drafted: Toronto Blue Jays, Round 4 (No. 131 overall)
Pick value: $581,100
Signing bonus: $2.5 million
What to know: Brick signed way over slot, too. The catcher was ranked as the No. 46 prospect in the draft and was not expected to make it to Mississippi State.
Martin Shelar
Drafted: Boston Red Sox, Round 9 (No. 274 overall)
Pick value: $205,400
Signing bonus: $1.5 million
What to know: Shelar, an outfielder from Georgia, was ranked as the No. 175 prospect in the draft. He slipped in the draft, but will not be playing for Mississippi State.
Mississippi State baseball's undrafted free agents
Here are the Mississippi State players who've signed undrafted free agent deals:
- 1B Blake Bevis (Chicago Cubs)
- P Brendan Sweeney (Philadelphia Phillies)
- P Tyler Pitzer (San Diego Padres)
- 1B Reed Stallman (New York Mets)
- SS Drew Wyers (Houston Astros)
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Signing bonuses for Mississippi State baseball players, signees in 2026 MLB Draft