Kade Anderson News: Lands in Seattle with third pick

The Mariners have selected Anderson with the third overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft.

The hierarchy of college starters typically evolves throughout the spring, and this year it was Anderson who rushed up draft boards as he struck out double-digit batters in seven of his nine starts for LSU in April and May. Anderson had Tommy John surgery in April 2022 and returned to action as a midweek starter and weekend reliever as a freshman before breaking out this year while leading the nation in strikeouts as a draft-eligible sophomore. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound lefty touches 96 mph with his low-90s fastball that has great movement, and it's his full arsenal of above-average-to-plus offerings that overwhelms hitters. His curveball, slider and changeup, all which will flash plus, move in different directions while coming out of the same arm slot, which has allowed him to toy with college hitters. Anderson had a 3.60 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 170:30 K:BB through 110 innings in 2025. Given that he was limited to 38.1 innings in 2024, he'll probably wait until 2026 for his pro debut, but he could move quickly to the majors from there.