PEORIA, Ariz. -- For the back fields, the ovation was loud.
Yet after the show that Kade Anderson put on, it was also substantiated.
The Mariners’ top pitching prospect wowed over two innings in a live batting practice on Saturday afternoon, as he gears up for a highly anticipated Cactus League debut. That assignment hasn’t yet been slated, but the fact that the left-hander built his workload to around 40 pitches -- and faced a full slate of big league hitters -- suggests that it could be coming soon.
“Personally, I'm just here to strike out batters,” Anderson said. “It doesn't matter where I'm at. So just having that mindset of going after and attacking guys is what I'm here to do.”
The Mariners have been mum on their plans for starting pitchers this spring, other than that they don’t intend to roll out their Opening Day rotation right away. Anderson is not in that mix, but he is expected to make at least a few Cactus starts before being reassigned to Minor League camp and -- down the road -- report to an affiliate for the regular season.
“We’re trying to downplay it,” one staffer said. “But after a day like today, it’s hard to.”
In the live BP, Anderson faced Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Brendan Donovan, Rob Refsnyder and Mitch Garver -- all of whom but Garver are locks for Seattle’s Opening Day roster.
And all of them went down in order, sans one walk.
Anderson K’d Raleigh, Garver and Refsnyder with breaking balls, worked a backwards K to Rodríguez on a fastball and induced a broken-bat out to Donovan. The heater sat in the 93-94 mph range and he mixed in everything else, including the changeup, 12-6 curveball and firmer slider, which clearly looks like a legitimate weapon against righties.
“It gives you a little bit of confidence that my stuff still plays at this level,” Anderson said. “But I think I'm just focused on one batter at a time, one pitch at a time, and all that stuff will happen when it happens.”
Any insight from those hitters?
“I haven't really got much feedback,” Anderson said. “I'm honestly, personally, working on just what I can control. The hitter sees what he sees. I think every hitter is different.”
It’s been just seven months since Anderson fell into the Mariners’ lap, by falling to them with the No. 3 overall pick, and that they were even in position to select that high via the MLB Draft lottery. Yet they always knew that he could be on an accelerated path given that he was already built up to 119 innings last year at LSU, where he won the College World Series title and was named the tournament’s MVP.
That high workload was also why they shut him down immediately after the Draft. These live BPs are the first time he’s faced hitters since, at least in a competitive environment.
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And he’s making them competitive in every sense, flashing an intensity not common for this stage of spring. Some have compared his disposition to George Kirby -- who garnered the nickname of “Furious George” -- in his early days.
“You can only control certain things as a pitcher, and walking people is one,” Anderson said. “So it really irritates me when I walk guys. I feel like I'm the type of pitcher that, I'm like a locator. I'm kind of like George in that sense. ... So when that kind of stuff happens, it pisses me off.”
What’s next for Anderson in the coming days isn’t immediately clear, other than that his throwing sessions have become must-watch.