Seattle Mariners fans, the wait is finally over.
On Thursday, the Mariners announced they plan to promote the organization’s top prospect and the 2025 No. 3 overall pick, Kade Anderson from Double-A to the majors. Anderson is set to make his debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
Over 18 starts in Double-A this season, Anderson holds a 10-1 record and a 1.06 ERA. He’ll provide the Mariners (60-68) with a boost as they try to erase a three-game deficit in the AL Wild Card race. His promotion also comes in response to the Mariners losing an away series to the Milwaukee Brewers, in which they conceded 34 runs, and lost 22-0 on Tuesday.
Anderson’s call-up could result in the Mariners returning to a six-man rotation with him slotting in between Emerson Hancock and Bryan Woo. The Mariners experimented with a six-man rotation before, and alternated starters as openers in a five-man rotation. Then, at the MLB trade deadline, they sent Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox, and returned to a true five-man rotation.
Kade Anderson was selected third overall in the 2025 MLB Draft out of LSU. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Anderson’s promotion will certainly coincide with a change in strategy.
While it felt like an eternity for Mariners fans, Anderson’s time in the minor leagues lasted 14 months. Anderson joins other top prospects such as Detroit Tigers SS Kevin McGonigle and Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes, who skipped Triple-A in their development process.
Anderson, like Skenes, won a Men’s College Baseball World Series with LSU before heading to the draft. Anderson’s pitching arsenal is predicated on precision, including a mid-90s fastball, a high-spin breaking pair, with his put-away pitch being a devastating changeup.
