The Mariners' young left-hander, Anderson, gave us a glimpse of his potential in what might be his final Cactus League outing. Despite the team's 10-7 loss to the Dodgers, Anderson showed resilience by navigating through some early struggles and making key adjustments mid-game.
The first inning was a bit rocky for Anderson, as he got tagged for a three-run homer by Teoscar Hernández. A quick chat with pitching coach Pete Woodworth in the dugout helped him regain his focus.
Anderson reflected, "When you have a tough inning, you need to help the bullpen out and get as many innings as you can. You're not going to have your stuff every day.
So it's part of the game. The mentality standpoint, it's half the battle, so I'm really just trying to work on that."
These are the kind of learning experiences the Mariners are eager to see from their young arms, especially one who’s just nine months removed from being the No. 3 overall pick in the MLB Draft. Anderson's development is crucial as he could be a key piece for the Mariners in the Majors come 2026.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson added, "Whether or not it's in '26, I don't know. But to know that we have a pretty special competitor out there, and someone who can throw the ball, throw it well, and have great poise on the mound with it, that's exciting."
After the early homer, Anderson settled in nicely, retiring eight of his final 10 batters. He capped his outing with a strikeout of Alex Call, following a slick double play initiated by third baseman Brendan Donovan.
The home run to Hernández was set up by a walk to Kyle Tucker and a leadoff double by Miguel Rojas. It was arguably the toughest lineup stretch Anderson has faced so far.
He wrapped up his day with four strikeouts, two walks, and three hits over 51 pitches, 32 of which were strikes. Anderson shared, "It's nice to know that my stuff still plays at this level.
I learned a lot today, just being able to go out there and fight. Keeping the team in the ballgame is really just what I'm supposed to do."
Anderson has been on a schedule similar to Seattle’s big-league rotation, but his time there might be drawing to a close. With a seven-day routine in place, he could be lined up to pitch in the upcoming Spring Breakout, a showcase that’s become a high priority for prospects.
Reflecting on his experience, Anderson said, "Obviously some good, some bad, and some just average. But really, just trying to get my feet wet, trying to learn from the guys, experience everything I can.
This isn't the big leagues, but it's as close as it's going to get. So you try to take everything with it and just try to dive all in."