Get to know third overall Draft pick Kade Anderson

This story originally ran previously, before Kade Anderson was drafted with the No. 3 pick by the Mariners.

Kade Anderson is MLB Pipeline’s No. 2-ranked prospect for the 2025 Draft. Here is everything you need to know about Anderson.

FAST FACTS

MLB Pipeline ranking: No. 2
Position: LHP
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 179 lbs.
Bats/throws: L/L
Age: 21 (Born July 6, 2004)
School: LSU

MLB PIPELINE SCOUTING GRADES (20-to-80 scale)

Fastball: 60
Curveball: 55
Slider: 55
Changeup: 60
Control: 55
Overall: 60

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. He made history at the College World Series

Anderson was a driving force behind LSU’s 2025 national championship, marking the program’s eighth title and second in three years. The left-hander was especially dominant at the Men’s College World Series, helping LSU advance out of the first round with seven innings of one-run ball against Arkansas before throwing a shutout on 130 pitches against Coastal Carolina in the first game of the championship series.

Anderson, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, became just the third pitcher to toss a shutout in the finals since the best-of-three format was introduced in 2003, joining Arizona’s JC Cloney (2016) and Oregon State’s Kevin Abel (2018).

2. He’s come back strong from Tommy John surgery

Anderson posted some gaudy stats pitching at St. Paul’s School in Covington, La., including a 28-1 record, a 0.22 ERA and 212 K’s. However, he had Tommy John surgery as a junior, ending his high school career early and eliminating any chance that he would forgo his commitment to LSU to begin his professional baseball career.

After missing his senior season, Anderson was eased into action as a freshman with the Tigers, throwing just 38 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA over 18 appearances (nine starts). But in 2025, the southpaw significantly boosted his Draft stock while cementing himself as one of the top pitchers in the college ranks. When MLB Pipeline released its initial Draft prospects rankings back in December, Anderson was 44th. But he jumped into the Top 10 in late April and rose all the way to second overall when the rankings were updated again in June.

3. He led D-I in strikeouts this past season

Anderson was a strikeout machine in 2025, racking up 10 or more K’s in 11 of his 19 starts. That included a career-high 14 strikeouts on April 3 in a shutout against Oklahoma. He also fanned 10 batters in his brilliant complete-game performance against Coastal Carolina in the College World Series finals.

All told, Anderson finished the season with 180 strikeouts to lead NCAA Division I. That total came with just 35 walks, good for a 5.14 K/BB ratio. LSU lost just two of Anderson's 19 starts as he notched a 3.18 ERA.

4. He features a diverse arsenal

What Anderson lacks in an overpowering signature pitch, he makes up for with a well-rounded arsenal that he commands well, giving him a chance to carve up lineups in multiple ways. The lefty throws a fastball, changeup, curveball and slider, and all four pitches grade out as above average with the potential to be plus offerings. Anderson offers a high floor as a result, though the uptick in stuff he showed this past spring also gives scouts reason to believe he could eventually develop into a frontline starter.

5. He has a tough act to follow

While highly regarded Draft prospects always face scrutiny, Anderson carries additional pressure due to the success of fellow LSU alum Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. (LSU outfielder Dylan Crews went No. 2 to the Nationals in that same Draft.)

Skenes, who also won Most Outstanding Player honors after leading LSU to a national championship, blazed through the Minors and achieved instant stardom in the Majors as a rookie with the Pirates in 2024. Though their pitching profiles differ, Anderson inherits the lofty expectations that come with following a player of Skenes’ stature.