Mariners Pitching Prospect Kade Anderson Continues to Dominate Double-A

He produced another stellar performance in his first start of May

Jun 21, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers starting pitcher Kade Anderson (32) pitches against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners' top pitching prospect, left-hander Kade Anderson, had yet another impressive outing at the start of his first minor league season.

Anderson, Seattle's No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 17 overall prospect for 2026, tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings on Friday for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers. The 21-year-old gave up no runs on four hits and no walks, while striking out eight in Arkansas' 5-1 win over the Wichita Wind Surge, the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

With this latest performance, the 2025 third-overall draft pick lowered his already ridiculous ERA even further. He now has a 0.37 ERA through his first five Double-A starts, while also racking up 38 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings pitched. If Anderson keeps this up, it wouldn't be surprising if the Mariners decided to promote the young southpaw soon.

Kade Anderson might not be in the minors much longer

Feb 19, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Kade Anderson (13) during spring training photo day in Peoria, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Based on the way he's pitched so far this year, it might be difficult to imagine this is Anderson's first season in the minors. The 21-year-old has only given up one earned run thus far, which means he's had a scoreless outing in four of his first five starts to begin his career. He also already produced a double-digit strikeout performance when he punched out 11 hitters in his second Double-A game.

As a result, many Seattle fans are likely wondering when the former Louisiana State University standout will be in the big leagues. Given the fact that the Mariners decided to have Anderson skip some of the lower minor league levels and immediately begin his career at Double-A, the young lefty could be a candidate to climb through the farm system quickly. But Seattle also has a strong starting pitching staff, so unless there's an injury in the big league rotation, the organization might not feel the need to rush the southpaw, especially this early in his career.

Either way, even though it's only been five starts, Anderson is clearly overpowering Double-A hitters so far in 2026. If he does earn a promotion to Triple-A soon and continues to dominate at that level, the 2025 first-round pick could find himself in the middle of a late-season playoff push with Seattle in his first year of professional baseball.