Ryan Bliss keeps finding new ways to put his name in the record book, and this time it came in Tacoma. On August 13 against the Reno Aces, the Mariners infielder swiped his 95th career base for Triple-A Tacoma, moving past former teammate and close friend Samad Taylor for the most in Rainiers history.
That milestone has a familiar feel for Bliss, who has been piling up steals at a relentless pace. He and Taylor were tied atop the Pacific Coast League with 50 steals each in 2024, helping Tacoma set a modern-era league record with 286. Taylor later raised the franchise mark to 94, only for Bliss to chase it down less than a year later.
For Seattle, the equation with Bliss is still pretty simple: get him on base and let him make life miserable for everybody else. He has stayed at second base in Triple-A, even with fans pushing for a promotion, and he remains blocked by Cole Young.
While Bliss is trying to keep forcing the issue, Kade Anderson has become one of the loudest names in the entire minor-league game. MLB Pipeline now lists the left-hander as Seattle’s No. 1 prospect, the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball and the sport’s top pitching prospect. That is a massive leap for a pitcher the Mariners took third overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, and he has made it look almost routine.
Anderson’s numbers tell the story: a 1.06 ERA, a 0.64 WHIP and 135 strikeouts over 93.1 innings. He has already vaulted ahead of every other minor-league arm in the sport, and he’s doing it in his first professional season.
That kind of rise is going to keep the major-league conversation humming into September. Still, there’s no rush to force the issue.
Seattle has workload and roster questions to sort through, and Anderson is still navigating his first pro season. The organization can afford to be patient, even if the buzz keeps building.
The Mariners also got a potential break on the schedule front with Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz. Kurtz is expected to stay in a brace for three more weeks after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection for his strained right thumb, and with the A’s far from the postseason picture, he looks more and more likely to be shut down for the rest of 2026.
That matters to Seattle because the Mariners still have seven games left against Oakland in September - four in Seattle from September 3-6 and three more in West Sacramento from September 11-13. Kurtz is set to come out of the brace around the start of September, but he would still need to resume baseball activity and rebuild his swing before he could return.
And if Seattle ends up seeing the A’s without Kurtz, that would remove their most dangerous bat from the lineup. He was hitting .256/.396/.483 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI, and had been building an MVP case before the thumb injury sent him to the injured list.
That gives the Mariners a real edge during a stretch loaded with division games. Of course, they still have to take advantage of it, and right now their focus has to stay on a messy August schedule before they can look any further down the road.
In Other News...
Phillies Add Pitching Insurance With Familiar Organizational Move
Casey Lawrences latest stop takes him to familiar ground for a veteran whose career has long been built on movement, depth and opportunity. The 38-year-old right-hander has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies after spending much of this season pitching in the minors, adding another chapter to a baseball life that has included major league time, frequent Triple-A work and stretches overseas.
For the Mariners, it is another reminder of how quickly organizational pitching depth can shift when a player with Lawrences resume becomes available. Seattle had him on a minor league deal before he moved on, and the Phillies are now bringing him into their system as insurance at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where experienced arms often become the next man up before anyone has time to notice the shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Add Needed Pitching Depth As Season Grind Starts Showing
The Mariners continued to add pitching insurance by claiming right-hander Troy Watson off waivers from the Tigers and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. Watson, 29, has spent the past two seasons showing solid minor league results in Detroits system, and he arrives with some versatility that could matter as the workload starts to pile up.
For Seattle, the move is less about headlines than about staying ahead of the grind. Watson is expected to give the organization another arm capable of handling starts or long relief, and with two option years still available, he fits the kind of depth piece clubs like to keep close as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Face A Colt Emerson Injury Fear They Can't Ignore
The Mariners added another layer of concern to a season already full of roster shuffling when rookie infielder Colt Emerson landed on the 10-day injured list with a wrist injury. Seattle said the issue has been lingering for much of the season, and general manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed Emerson has been trying to manage it along the way, a sign the club is now dealing with more than a routine short-term absence.
Emerson is headed to Arizona to see a specialist, leaving the next steps unclear for a player the organization has viewed as an important part of its infield future. The Mariners have not shut the door on a more serious outcome, which is the part that makes this injury especially hard to dismiss as just another IL move. [Read more 🡒]