Mariners No. 2 Prospect Finally Escaping Kade Anderson's Shadow, Pushing for M's Rotation Spot in 2027

Ryan Sloan, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Mariners Minor League system, just authored the kind of the 2026 season at Double-A Arkansas that should allow him to finally escape the enormous shadow cast by top pitching prospect Kade Anderson.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Sloan not only posted a 3.73 ERA over 22 starts in the hitter-friendly Texas League, but he also struck out 128 in 101 1/3 innings pitched. His best outing of the season came on Aug. 22 against the Springfield (Mo.) Cardinals when he struck out 11 and allowed just one earned run over five innings of work.

Sloan, 20, is showing why the Mariners took him in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft and gave him a $3 million signing bonus. Featuring a four-seam fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range, Sloan also features a kick change and a two-level slider that keeps hitters off balance.

While the 20-year-old Sloan almost assuredly will begin 2027 in the Minor Leagues, could he soon join Anderson in the Mariner rotation?