Some say that Mother Nature is undefeated. Whether that’s the case or not, she certainly seems to be the only thing that can slow Kade Anderson down. MLB’s No. 17 prospect was in the midst of his fourth consecutive impressive start to begin his pro career on Friday when a rainstorm ended his outing (and the game) early.
Prior to the game’s suspension, Anderson racked up eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings with no walks and just one hit allowed. Double-A Arkansas was knotted up 0-0 with Corpus Christi at Dickey-Stephens Park.
The 6-foot-2 southpaw looked strong from the start, sitting down his first 12 batters faced, eight via strikeout, before a Walker Janek (HOU No. 4) single ended his perfect game bid. Anderson induced a double play, before plunking the next batter. But Mother Nature wouldn't relent. At 59 pitches, Anderson was approaching his season high of 71 and unlikely to stay in the game much longer as Seattle continues to keep his pitch counts in check.
Selected by the Mariners with the third overall pick of the 2025 Draft, the lefty has been nearly unhittable in his first four starts. He threw 11 shutout innings to start the season before allowing a run to Tulsa last Friday. Now four games in, he has an 0.48 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched.
For some, even the path to Double-A is a long and winding road, filled with adjustments to face more seasoned competition. Seattle’s No. 2 prospect, on the other hand, skipped A-ball entirely with two seasons of SEC baseball under his belt. Entering Friday’s action, the 2025 College World Series Most Outstanding Player led the Texas League in ERA among pitchers with 10 or more innings.
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A promotion to Triple-A in the coming months is well within the realm of possibility for Anderson, who is projected to make his big league debut in 2027. Right now, it appears as though not much could stand in his way.