Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are not headed to Seattle just yet, but they are headed to Philadelphia for the Futures Game.
Most Seattle Mariners fans are ready to see top pitching prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan in the Pacific Northwest and helping the big league club, but they'll have to wait a little longer on that front.
Instead, M's fans will be watching both pitchers take the mound in Philadelphia later this month as part of the MLB Futures Game.
The Futures Game takes place on Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park as part of a precursor to MLB All-Star Week. It features 38 of the Top 100 prospects in baseball, per MLB Pipeline.
Anderson (No. 5) and Sloan (No. 8) were both easy selections for the honor. They are the only Mariners that are going to take part in the exhibition.
About Anderson
Drafted No. 3 overall out of LSU in the 2025 draft, Anderson has barreled through the Double-A ranks in his first exposure to professional baseball.
He's 8-0 with a 1.22 ERA in 13 starts. In 66.2 innings, he has 99 strikeouts and just 10 walks. Opponents are hitting only .162 against him. His ERA and his strikeout/walk ratio lead all minor league pitchers.
He's been absolutely sensational and profiles as a solid starter at the big league level. That said, his first exposure to the big leagues might come as a bullpen arm. As the Mariners chase a second straight American League West title, Anderson could be an option for the 'pen down the stretch, pairing with Jose Ferrer and Gabe Speier to give them three left-handers.
As for Sloan
A second-round pick in 2024, Sloan is also playing at Double-A Arkansas. Still just 20 years old, Sloan is having a bigger adjustment to the level than Anderson is, but he's still had excellent moments. He's 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 57.0 innings. He's struck out 72 batters and walked just 12. Opponents are hitting .257 off him.
He's the youngest pitcher in Double-A this year, and he has just a 2.84 ERA since May 30.
As for the Mariners in the bigs?
After taking the first two games of the series from the Los Angeles Angels, the Mariners will enjoy a rare Wednesday off day before finishing the series on Thursday.
The off day comes as a result of World Cup action at Lumen Field.
Seattle is 44-43 and 0.5 games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West. They'll send Bryce Miller to the mound on Thursday looking for the series sweep, and the Toronto Blue Jays come to town for three games over the July 4 holiday weekend.
Of note
The latest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out. You can listen here, or watch in the YouTube player below.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
