Kade Anderson Turning Heads in Peoria as Mariners’ Top Pick Prepares for Pro Debut
Spring training hasn’t officially started yet, but one name is already drawing a crowd in Peoria: Kade Anderson. The 21-year-old lefty-Seattle’s No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft-isn't just a top prospect on paper.
He’s a presence. And while he hasn’t thrown a pitch in a professional game yet, there’s a growing sense around Mariners camp that Anderson’s debut might not be far off.
That’s not to say the Mariners are rushing him. But they’re not ruling anything out either.
Anderson’s last competitive pitch came in June, when he capped off a dominant run at LSU by tossing a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the College World Series finals. That performance earned him Most Outstanding Player honors and helped deliver a national title to Baton Rouge.
Since then? It’s been all about preparation.
This has been the longest layoff from in-game action Anderson’s had since undergoing Tommy John surgery as a high school junior. But instead of pushing to get back on a mound immediately, he’s taken a more measured approach-one that’s focused on long-term development and physical readiness.
“I’m more aware of my body and routine now,” Anderson said during a recent interview on Seattle Sports’ Hot Stove Show. “So having that time to focus on my body, nutrition, and stuff, it’s been a big help.”
The Mariners made a deliberate choice not to send Anderson out for short-season or A-ball innings after the draft. They felt his college workload-especially his postseason heroics-was enough for 2025. Instead, they opted to keep him close to the organization’s resources in Arizona, where he’s been training and learning the ropes of professional baseball.
That doesn’t mean he’s been in cruise control. Anderson spent time with the Double-A Arkansas club last season-not to pitch, but to get a feel for the environment. He also participated in the Mariners’ High Performance Camp and the aptly named “Shove Camp,” both designed to help young pitchers fine-tune their game and build relationships with coaches and teammates.
“I think the coolest thing about being a part of the Mariners is they’re just really good people,” Anderson said. “They do such a good job of bringing the right people in.”
That culture matters, especially for a player like Anderson, who already brings a mature, team-first mindset. He’s a polished four-pitch starter with big-game experience, and he’s coming into camp with an open mind about how the Mariners might want to shape his repertoire.
“It’s completely up to the Mariners in what they want me to do,” he said. “I’m just going to be ready to learn from them.
If they want to switch to a whole different arsenal, I will be ready for it. I just want to go out there and compete.”
That competitive edge has already started to shine through in early camp workouts. From bullpen sessions to live BP, Anderson’s been locked in. The reports out of Peoria describe a pitcher who’s not just physically ready, but mentally dialed in-poised, focused, and already carrying himself like a pro.
Anderson knows what’s coming. He’s well aware that soon, he’ll be facing major league hitters in front of a lot of curious eyes.
But he’s not flinching. His experience at LSU, where every pitch came under the spotlight, has helped him understand how to manage the moment.
“I will be ready for it,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s the same game.
It’s just you’re playing with different people. When you have that perspective, it doesn’t matter if Josh Naylor is in the box or some high schooler.
It’s the same game-you have to throw strikes, you have to mix pitches, and just learn from it.”
That mindset-staying even-keeled, focusing on the process-has become something of a theme for Anderson heading into 2026. Sure, the big leagues are the goal. But he’s not skipping steps.
“When you live in the moment, things come up on the work you are doing,” he said. “You go through ebbs and flows, kind of riding the highs and riding the lows.
It’s really trying to be even-keeled throughout the season. I’m just worried about winning.
I feel like if you focus on winning, it makes your kind of self career go in the right direction. So looking forward to wherever I am at, just trying to win.”
There’s a quiet confidence in those words-one that reflects both maturity and competitive fire. Anderson isn’t here to make noise off the field. He’s here to earn it on the mound.
And so far, in the early days of Peoria, he’s doing just that.