Kade Anderson was taken No. 3 overall in the 2025 MLB Draft out of LSU.
One day after Seattle Mariners prospect Ryan Sloan got high praise from MLB Pipeline, it was M's prospect Kade Anderson's turn.
Sloan was ranked as the No. 6 right-handed pitching prospect in baseball entering 2026, and Anderson is now ranked as the No. 3 left-handed pitching prospect - despite never throwing a professional pitch.
He's behind only Thomas White (Miami Marlins) and Payton Tolle (Boston Red Sox). The Mariners selected Anderson with the No. 3 draft pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of LSU, where he led the Tigers to a College World Series championship victory a season ago.
He's ranked one spot ahead of Liam Doyle (Cardinals), and is also above the likes of Robby Snelling (Marlins) Jamie Arnold (Athletics), Noah Schultz (White Sox), Gage Jump (Athletics), Cam Caminiti (Bravefs) and Connelly Early (Red Sox).
More on Anderson
In addition to being ranked as the third-highest rated lefty, Anderson is also the No. 23 overall prospect in baseball. At 21 years old, he's listed at 6'2 and 179 pounds. Anderson was the Most Outstanding Player at the College World Series as he allowed just one run in 17 innings. As noted by MLB Pipeline, he had 180 strikeouts in 119 innings, leading Division I in total K's.
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About his outlook for 2026
The Mariners figure to ease Anderson into professional baseball in 2026, but if Trey Yesavage with the Toronto Blue Jays is any indication of what's possible, then there's certainly a chance that Anderson could fly through the system. He's projected to make his big league debut in 2027.
For comparison, Jurrangelo Cijntje, who was taken in the first round in 2024, began his 2025 season at High-A Everett before ending with seven starts at Double-A Arkansas. Anderson could operate under a similar track.
Additional information
The Mariners are still on the hunt for an impact bat this offseason, and they've been linked to Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals and Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals, specifically, have been gobbling up pitching prospects this offseason. The Mariners have been rumored to be willing to include Cijntje in a deal, but there's been no indication that they'd be willing to move Anderson or Sloan in any moves.
The Mariners will report to spring training in four weeks as they look to defend their American League West title. Seattle reached the American League Championship Series in 2025.
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