Death, taxes and Kade Anderson posting a near-perfect outing at Double-A.
In the year 2026, few players at any level have been more reliable than MLB’s No. 14 prospect. On Friday, he once again delivered the inevitable for Double-A Arkansas, striking out nine over 5 2/3 innings in the first half of a doubleheader. The Travelers went on to win 5-1 over Tulsa, before dropping Game 2 at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Anderson eased into his sixth start, issuing a walk in the first inning before inducing a double play. He found his groove in the second, striking out four straight batters before allowing his first hit of the night a frame later.
The Louisiana-born lefty kept a clean sheet until the top of the sixth when Frank Rodriguez (Dodgers) tagged him for a home run, his first allowed this season, and by default, his pro career. Despite that demerit, it was another strong start for Anderson, particularly given the competition. Tulsa’s lineup featured four of the Dodgers’ Top 30 prospects -- a group that accounted for seven of Anderson’s nine strikeouts.
COMPLETE MARINERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
While Anderson has been a constant in Minor League Baseball this season, the legend didn’t start there. As an LSU sophomore in 2025, he quickly became one of the top pitchers in college baseball, leading the Tigers to the Men's College World Series. Capping a 180-strikeout season, Anderson earned Most Outstanding Player honors, along with a slew of other distinctions. The Mariners selected him in the first round of last year's Draft and decided to shut him down until this year -- where he received an aggressive assignment to Double-A that he has aced.
Through six starts, Anderson has a 3-0 record and an 0.60 ERA that leads all full-season qualifiers. While he's also elicited plenty of weak contact, he's had plenty of success in the strikeout department. He currently leads the Texas League in punchouts and has a mindboggling 47/5 K/BB ratio. Batters have combined for a paltry .150 average and his 0.67 WHIP also leads the Minors.