‘Extremely exciting’: Kade Anderson joins M’s before anticipated debut

SEATTLE – A day before his highly anticipated MLB debut, top pitching prospect Kade Anderson walked into the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse on Friday with a locker and jersey waiting for him.

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The club has yet to officially add the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft to its 26-man roster, but that move will come Saturday before Anderson takes the mound as a big leaguer for the first time in a matchup with the Chicago Cubs.

“It’s extremely exciting to have him here and we’re excited to get him on the mound tomorrow,” manager Dan Wilson said.

Anderson’s big-league debut will come after what’s been a dominant first season of professional baseball at the Double-A level. In 18 starts with the Arkansas Travelers this year, the left-hander posted a 10-1 record and sparkling 1.06 ERA and 0.64 WHIP over 93 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out 135 batters, walked just 13 and held opponents to a .147 average.

And the Mariners are hoping their 22 year old can continue his success and help provide a spark down the stretch as they attempt to overcome a four-game deficit in the American League West with just 35 games left to play.

“I think we’ve all heard about the season that he’s had and it’s exciting to see him here and ready to go,” Wilson said. “We saw Brock Rodden was added to the roster and it created a little bit of spark, and sometimes that could be the case. Certainly with Kade on the hill tomorrow, I think it can definitely create a different continuity, a different mix and create some spark.”

Wilson was confident Anderson is ready to make the jump from Double-A to the majors.

“He’s ready for this level,” Wilson said. “And it’s been a very fast ascent, no question. But he is ready and the type of guy he is, the mentality that he has, he’s ready to get out there and attack as well. So, I think that bodes well as we go forward. As we go down this stretch, that’s what we need out there, and Kade’s got that mindset and he’s ready to go.”

Wilson didn’t say Anderson had a strict innings limit, but his workload is something the club will monitor moving forward.

The southpaw tossed 119 innings during his final college season at LSU last year, which included helping the Tigers win the national title, and was shut down by the M’s after he was drafted without throwing a pitch in the minors. He’s 25 2/3 innings from reaching that mark this year.

“I think that’s always something that’s on your mind, whether it’s a guy like Kade or an established major leaguer,” Wilson said. “It’s something that you want to watch and be careful of, and I think certainly that would also be a consideration as we move forward.”

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• Where Seattle Mariners’ playoff odds stand after Brewers series
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