The Seattle Mariners are calling up No. 1 prospect Kade Anderson following an unbelievable season in the minors, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and the No. 1 prospect in the Mariners' organization, is coming straight to the MLB rotation from Double-A Arkansas, where he has been the most dominant pitcher in MiLB this year. The left-hander has made 18 starts this season, allowing just 11 earned runs through 93.1 innings pitched and striking out 135 batters on the year.
The southpaw hasn't allowed a run in any of his last four appearances, spanning 20.2 innings pitched. His 0.64 WHIP is the best of any qualified pitcher across any level of the minor leagues. Anderson came out of college as a candidate for the No. 1 overall selection, having struck out 180 batters through 119 innings during his final season at LSU.
Anderson's call-up is a no-brainer, but as he isn't currently on the 40-man roster, the Mariners will have to make some room for him. That shouldn't be a tall task either, though, as reliever Matt Brash has been on the injured list for more than 60 days. The matter of who he will replace is a more difficult question.
The Mariners' five-man rotation currently consists of Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, George Kirby and Bryan Woo, all of whom have been solid as starters this season. Miller is the most obvious answer at the moment, though, as he has an 8.04 ERA across his last three starts. The Mariners' rotation, as per usual, has been pretty good over the course of the season, as they have several All-Star-level arms in their ranks.
Their ERA as a rotation is 3.83, which ranks as the eighth-best in MLB heading into Thursday's games. The Mariners' rotation walks batters at a lower rate than anyone else in the league, averaging 2.17 per nine innings, and that numbers will certainly continue to drop upon Anderson's arrival, as he has just 13 walks across his 93.1 innings pitched this year. Seattle has already announced its starters for their upcoming three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, so Anderson won't appear against them, but he will more than likely make his debut in their following series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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