Mariners’ Future Rotation Taking Shape: Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan Turn Heads in Early Camp
PEORIA, Ariz. - They couldn’t be more different in how they look, how they throw, or how they got here - but Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are quickly making it clear that their paths, however distinct, are converging toward the same destination: the heart of the Mariners’ future rotation.
Anderson is a wiry 6-foot-2 lefty with the polish of a college champion. Sloan is a 6-foot-5 right-hander with a power arm and the raw upside that has scouts buzzing.
One dominated at the College World Series. The other was pitching in high school gyms just two years ago.
But both are now front and center at Mariners camp, already showing flashes of what could be a special one-two punch down the road.
And the Mariners brass is taking notice.
“Obviously, Kade hasn't thrown a professional pitch yet, and Ryan hasn’t pitched above A-ball,” said Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. “But you’d never know it by watching how they carry themselves.
The command, the consistency, the way they repeat their delivery - it’s all there. I don’t imagine either of them spending much time in the high Minors.”
That’s not lip service. Anderson and Sloan have been the early talk of camp, not just because of their prospect pedigrees, but because their stuff is already living up to the hype. Both took part in the first live batting practice sessions of the spring, and neither backed down from facing big-league bats.
Kade Anderson: The Poised Competitor
Prospect Rank: Mariners No. 2 | MLB No. 21
Anderson stepped onto the mound with the kind of presence you don’t often see in a 21-year-old who hasn’t thrown a pitch in pro ball. Facing Cal Raleigh, he fell behind 3-0 - then calmly worked back to induce a popout on a fastball perfectly placed on the outer edge. What followed was even more impressive: three straight strikeouts of Randy Arozarena, Miles Mastrobuoni, and Dominic Canzone, each one falling victim to Anderson’s breaking stuff.
That 12-6 curveball? It’s already drawing comparisons to Max Fried’s - and not lightly.
But what really stood out wasn’t just the stuff. It was the poise.
Anderson showed the same steely focus that helped him earn MVP honors in last year’s College World Series, where he threw a 130-pitch complete-game shutout in Game 1 against Coastal Carolina to help LSU take the title. That outing capped a 119-inning workload, and the Mariners opted to shut him down after the draft - not because of any concerns, but to protect what they saw as a long-term investment.
Instead of pitching, Anderson spent the rest of 2025 building up his body. He added about 15 pounds of muscle, with the goal of increasing durability and handling a full pro season.
“It's never good enough, necessarily, in my eyes,” Anderson said. “There’s always room to grow.
I’m a skinnier guy, so I’m trying to put on as much weight as I can. I need all I can get.”
That growth mindset is part of what makes Anderson so intriguing. He’s not just a guy with elite stuff - he’s a competitor who knows how to use it, and he’s already learning how to adjust at the pro level.
Ryan Sloan: The Power Arm with a Plan
Prospect Rank: MLB No. 44
If Anderson is the surgical lefty, Sloan is the power right-hander who looks like he was built in a lab. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he’s got the frame of a tight end - and his teammates have noticed.
“If you gave me his headshot, I’d think he's like 12,” joked Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo. “But if you showed me a picture of his body, I’d think he's 25 and built like a bodybuilder. He’s got legs like a centaur.”
And Sloan’s stuff is just as eye-catching. He’s already touching 98-100 mph with his fastball, and he’s pairing it with a hard slider, a developing changeup he calls his favorite pitch, and - as of this spring - a two-seamer that made its debut in live BP.
That two-seamer? It hit 98 mph and had big-league movement. And it’s part of a broader plan the Mariners have for Sloan in 2026: increase his changeup usage (which was just 8% last year, per Synergy) and continue developing a four-pitch mix that can keep hitters guessing.
In his live session, Sloan faced Cal Raleigh in an eight-pitch battle before Josh Naylor - chirping from the on-deck circle - got Raleigh to step out. On the next pitch, Raleigh rolled over a hard grounder.
Then came the highlight: a strikeout of Arozarena on a slider with 20 inches of vertical break. The swing was so off-balance, Arozarena’s bat went flying down the third-base line.
That’s the kind of stuff that gets attention - not just from fans, but from hitters.
And Sloan’s not just throwing hard. He’s throwing strikes.
Last year, he threw first-pitch strikes to 73% of batters and racked up 90 strikeouts in 82 innings. That kind of command, paired with elite velocity and movement, is why the Mariners are so high on him.
“The Mariners do a really good job at giving you the confidence to throw your stuff in the zone,” Sloan said. “At the end of the day, my stuff is above average. So I’m just going to throw it down the middle - and in the long run, I’m going to be really good.”
Looking Ahead
Neither Anderson nor Sloan has pitched above A-ball. Anderson hasn’t even made his pro debut.
But you wouldn’t know it from the way they’ve handled themselves this spring. They’re already showing the kind of maturity, presence, and stuff that suggests they won’t be waiting around in the Minors for long.
For a Mariners organization that has already turned heads with its homegrown pitching development - Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo - these two might just be next in line.
Different arms, different paths, same destination. And if early camp is any indication, the road ahead is looking awfully promising.