Passan: What stood out about Mariners rookie pitcher Kade Anderson

Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Kade Anderson was one out away from turning in a remarkable debut.

What They Said: Mariners on Cal Raleigh after his 3-HR game

Facing baseball’s best lineup against left-handed pitching in the Chicago Cubs, Anderson made it through 5 2/3 innings with allowing only one run before back-to-back solo homers ended his outing just shy of a quality start.

All in all, it was still a “solid” performance from baseball’s top pitching prospect, ESPN’s Jeff Passan told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Tuesday.

Passan highlighted one adjustment Anderson is having deal with and shared his biggest takeaway from the outing during his weekly conversation with Brock and Salk.

Impact of the big-league ball

The 22-year-old Anderson isn’t known for having an overpowering fastball, but it was still a highly effective pitch for him during his dominant run in Double-A prior to his promotion.

But in his big-league debut, Passan noticed Anderson’s four-seamer, which he generated just two whiffs on, was being impacted by throwing the baseballs used in the big leagues, which are different than the balls used at the Double-A level of the minor leagues and below.

After the start, Marquee Sports player development analyst Lance Brozodski pointed out on social media that Anderson’s spin rate on his fastball was down from averaging 2,180 rpm at Double-A to 1,976 rpms in his debut.

Kade Anderson takes it all in before impressing in debut

“The minor-league ball is cheaper, it is factory made, it is not hand stitched,” Passan said. “Triple-A and above, they use the big-league ball, and it’s got lower seams and it’s got different movement profiles, accordingly. And Kade Anderson’s fastball with the big-league ball is like a full grade below his fastball in the minor leagues. That’s just how it is.

“And the fastball part, I’m not going to say that will take care of itself, but I think there are absolutely ways to mitigate the issues that it might cause.”

‘Devastating’ offspeed potential

Passan said his biggest takeaway from Anderson’s debut was the effectiveness of his offspeed pitches. The left-hander racked up five whiffs on his slider (all of which came in the first two innings) and two whiffs on three swings against his curveball, which also landed for five called strikes.

“The breaking stuff is really, really, really quite good,” Passan said. “You can make the argument that you want him to start a couple of games in Triple-A to get used to ball. But the reality is he’s used to it, he knows it and there are going to be some adjustments that need to be made, and Cal (Raleigh) is going to need to be extremely mindful of just how often he calls the fastball. And not because of how it plays comparatively, but because all the other pitches are so freaking good.

“That was the takeaway from Kade Anderson to me. It wasn’t that the fastball needs work, it’s that the other stuff is going to be devastating.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays form 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

Seattle Mariners news and more

• Mariners rookie Colt Emerson to have season-ending surgery
• Should the Mariners re-sign Randy Arozarena?
• Mariners-Phillies Preview: Injuries, key players and more

Related

Mariners Roster Move: J.P. Crawford returns from 10-day ILWhat They Said: Mariners on Cal Raleigh after his 3-HR gameWith Cal Raleigh now on the list, here’s every Mariners 3-HR game everThese five Mariners minor leaguers are red hotCal Raleigh hits 3 homers as M’s tee off on PhilliesDetails emerge on accident that led to Brendan Donovan’s IL stint