The Mariners’ two most prominent pitching prospects are headed to Philadelphia, not Seattle, for now.
Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan have been selected for the MLB Futures Game, giving the organization a pair of reps in one of the showcase events of All-Star Week. The game is set for Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park, and MLB Pipeline lists 38 of the Top 100 prospects in baseball among the participants. Anderson and Sloan are the only Mariners in the exhibition.
For fans eager to see Anderson in the Northwest, the wait continues. The No. 5 prospect has wasted no time making a statement since the Mariners drafted him No. 3 overall out of LSU in the 2025 draft.
In his first taste of pro ball, he has raced through Double-A with an 8-0 record and a 1.22 ERA over 13 starts. In 66.2 innings, he has piled up 99 strikeouts against only 10 walks, and opponents are batting just .162 against him.
His ERA and strikeout-to-walk ratio both lead all minor league pitchers.
That kind of production has him looking like a starter at the major league level, but his first shot with Seattle could come out of the bullpen. With the Mariners chasing a second straight American League West title, Anderson could be part of a late-season relief mix alongside Jose Ferrer and Gabe Speier, giving the club three left-handers in the pen.
Sloan’s path has been a little less dominant, but the 20-year-old has still handled himself well at Double-A Arkansas. The second-round pick from 2024 is 2-2 with a 4.11 ERA in 57.0 innings, with 72 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Opponents are hitting .257 against him, and he has been the youngest pitcher in Double-A this season. Since May 30, his ERA sits at 2.84.
While the prospects head east, the big league club gets a brief pause at home. Seattle took the first two games from the Los Angeles Angels and has a rare Wednesday off before finishing the series Thursday. The day off is tied to World Cup action at Lumen Field.
The Mariners enter Thursday at 44-43, sitting 0.5 games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Bryce Miller is set to start the series finale as Seattle looks for the sweep, and the Toronto Blue Jays arrive for a three-game set over the July 4 holiday weekend.
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