What to Expect from Mariners Pitcher Kade Anderson

The Mariners assigned Anderson to Double-A Arkansas to begin the season. And while the 22-year-old has been in the Texas League all season, Anderson was, arguably, the best overall pitcher at the level this season. The lefty struck out 135 batters over 93.1 IP, walked just 13, and opposing hitters batted just .147 off Anderson.

He was two off the Texas League lead in strikeouts, behind only Dodgers prospect Adam Serwinowski, who had nearly 16 more full innings thrown.

Aside from the peripherals, Anderson was clearly dominant in other metrics. His 37.6% CSW% was the best among Double-A pitchers with at least 500 pitches thrown at the level this season. Anderson’s swing-and-miss rate was among the top-10 in Double-A, a list that included one of his teammates from LSU. And his 45.6% GB% ranked among the top 33% of all Double-A pitchers.

So, what makes Anderson tick? Well, the fastball isn’t a burner in terms of velocity. Anderson will hit the mid-90s. But it plays, getting a lot of late swing-and-miss. Anderson has a deep arsenal, as mentioned before. A curveball that’ll sit in the high-70s to low-80s, and a pitch that he can spot. The slider and changeup are also very good pitches. That can keep hitters honest.

So between all of that, as well as good overall command, it’s not hard to see why Anderson had so much success in the Minors.

Per reports, including ESPN, the Mariners plan to have Kade Anderson make his MLB debut and start against the Cubs on August 22.

Analysis

From a short-term perspective, the move brings both excitement and concern, for the simple reason that Anderson will slot into Bryan Woo‘s spot in the rotation. Woo has been dealing with shoulder soreness, a subplot to watch as Seattle looks to resuscitate their hopes of making the playoffs again.

It’s an aggressive move by the Mariners, as the club opted not to move Anderson for a test run in Tacoma before the move. However, the Mariners do have a track record of doing that. Seattle pushed pitcher Bryce Miller to the Majors after he started 2023 in Arkansas. One month later, the M’s did it again with Bryan Woo.

As noted above, Anderson showed the polish. The stuff was good in the spring, let alone in the regular season. And yes, the numbers do speak for themselves.

Neither had the track record that Anderson did, however, nor the prospect pedigree. Anderson is, arguably, the best prospect in the Mariners’ system and someone who the club will hope can become a homegrown ace.

Now, the stakes are extraordinarily high, as the club hopes that Anderson’s prowess shown in high-leverage situations with LSU can carry over to the Majors.