Mariners' 19-year-old pitching phenom could develop into the ace of the Seattle staff
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The Seattle Mariners will be pretty set with their veteran pitching rotation heading into the 2026 MLB season, Headed by 15-game winner Bryan Woo, the group is still jelling as a unit, and one of the five regulars, Luis Castillo (33), is over thirty years of age. But a few precocious prospects are going to be knocking on the door of the big leagues sooner rather than later.
That group includes 19-year-old righthander Ryan Sloan, who was drafted by the Mariners in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He attended York Community High School in Aurora, Illinois. He had a standout senior season in high school, posting a 0.30 ERA and 90 strikeouts. He signed with the Mariners for a $3 million bonus and debuted with the Modesto Nuts before moving up to the Everett AquaSox.
Despite an eye procedure that ended his season early, Sloan was named the Mariners' Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He will begin the season at the Single-A level, but the team believes he can progress enough to get some experience in Triple-A by the end of the year.
Major league scouts see Sloan as potentially a future ace for Seattle. His 6'4" frame and blazing fastball, clocked in the mid-90s and sometimes reaching up to 100 mph, are accompanied by a sharp, 'down-and-away' slider and a developing changeup.
Even at such a young age, Sloan has been praised for his strike-throwing ability, displaying a low walk rate. Overall, he's considered a high-ceiling prospect who could move quickly through the Mariners' system over the next two years.
A future dynamic duo with fellow draft pick?
Sloan and Kade Anderson are the top two Mariners pitching prospects, and they both bring a perfect mix of styles on the mound. While the younger righty is a hard-throwing power pitcher, the lefthanded Anderson is known for his array of four pitches that he utilizes to strategically earn an out. Seattle certainly envisions them as a powerful pairing on the pitching mound in a couple of years.
While Anderson has yet to throw a pitch in pro ball, and Sloan's timehas been limited, their upsides are already so apparent that their eventual MLB debuts seem inevitable - and likely within about a year of one another. Both pitchers will get auditions at Spring Training the rest of the way, and should be scheduled for arrival around 2027 or 2028.
The two, along with what will then be a seasoned rotation (or what's left of it) could ensure the Mariners compete for the AL West title for the next five to six seasons. And when Sloan finally arrives, he will be a powerful asset and potential All-Star.
