Passan: Mariners pulled off an ‘absolute coup’ for their future
Jul 18, 2025, 9:32 AM
The Seattle Mariners already had perhaps the best farm system in baseball when the MLB Draft Lottery rolled around last December, where they lucked into the No. 3 overall pick.
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Their cache of prospects continued to gain steam in the first three months of this season, which led into the draft itself Sunday. And then luck was on the Mariners’ side again.
With the Washington Nationals taking shortstop Eli Willits with the first pick, followed by the Los Angeles Angels selecting pitcher Tyler Bremner, the dream scenario for the Mariners had unfolded before them. And without hesitation, they selected LSU left-hander Kade Anderson, who was the star of the Tigers’ run to the College World Series championship earlier this year.
If you need an indication of just how monumental that sequence of events was for the Mariners, one of the most respected MLB insiders delivered one Wednesday on Seattle Sports.
“Getting Kade Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft was an absolute coup for the Mariners,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan said during his weekly conversation with Brock and Salk.
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The Mariners have a strong core already in the big leagues with superstar catcher Cal Raleigh, 24-year-old center fielder Julio Rodríguez, and a standout starting rotation featuring three separate homegrown pitchers all 28 years or younger with an All-Star nod to their credit.
They’re proven to be adept at drafting, signing and developing prospects.
And now you can add the gift of landing Anderson to the mix, which Passan said could end up being just as consequential as anything else as the Mariners aim to score the first World Series appearance in team history.
“(Drafting Anderson is) the sort of thing that sets them up every bit as much (as) all of the other things they’ve done to have a really, really bright future,” Passan said. “And it’s great to see.”
ESPN’s Jeff Passan joins Brock and Salk for a weekly conversation, typically at 8:30 a.m. each Tuesday during the baseball season. Catch Brock and Salk from 6-10 a.m. live weekdays on Seattle Sports.
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