Holding Out Number One Pick in 2025 Could Benefit the Mariners in 2026
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As the Mariners and their fans look back to the 2025 season, they also look forward to next season and the hopes of building on their recent success. Having reached the threshold of the World Series, the team is developing an off-season strategy that aims to retain its own free agents, while also bolstering its pitching staff.
Part of that equation may include Kade Anderson, the team's highly vaunted prospect who still hasn't thrown a professional pitch yet. But in MLB's current environment, that may not matter. Dominant pitching in the minors next season could see Anderson fast-tracked to the big leagues by as early as August.
Before entering last year's draft, the young left-hander notched an amazing 12-1 record, with a 3.18 ERA, 180 strikeouts, and 35 walks in 119 innings pitched for the Louisiana State Tigers. He would lead the team to a College World Series victory, earning the Most Outstanding Player award along the way. He was also named the collegiate Pitcher of the Year by Baseball America.
Kade Anderson said that he had no idea where Seattle was when he got drafted
— Marine Layer Podcast (@MarineLayerPod) July 22, 2025
He also said he was shocked by the weather while walking around the city and experiencing it for the first time pic.twitter.com/62TmUhpH6v
Anderson was selected as the third overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with Seattle for a signing bonus worth $8.8 million. However, instead of following the traditional route of sending him to the Fall League to prepare him for his first pro season, the Mariners decided to shut him down. Anderson continues to work out, and he is expected to be invited to Spring Training in 2026.
Could Kade Anderson Make it to the Big Leagues in 2026?
While it's generally been believed that a young pitcher needs 2-3 years to develop, that mindset has changed as the sport has evolved. Valuable starting pitchers are now protected much more with limited innings or pitch counts. So 'on-the-job-training' isn't as much of an issue in the game now. Anderson could be the next player to make such a leap, especially if he begins the season at the High-A or Double-A level.
Five pitchers who were picked in the first rounds of the 2023 and 2024 drafts went on to make their MLB debuts by the next season, so it's not unheard of in this day and age. And that may have been part of Seattle's strategy all along.
Preferably, Anderson would land in Triple-A, and then he could join the team as a September call-up. However, if the former Bayou Bengal is 'lights-out' and overmatching hitters, that call from the Mariners may end up coming sooner than expected. Who knows? Perhaps the promising prospect can be the one to pitch them to the promised land.
“There are a lot of fans that are really dedicated to the Mariners,” Anderson stated earlier this year. “That’s something I’ve learned about over the past couple of days. I’m super excited to eventually bring home a World Series to this city.”
