Kade Anderson Reportedly Called Up By Mariners, MLB's No. 1 Pitching Prospect

The Seattle Mariners plan to call up top pitching prospect Kade Anderson, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Anderson is expected to start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday after getting called up, per Passan.

Expectations are high for the left-hander, as he's listed as the No. 1 pitching prospect as well as the No. 5 overall prospect among all teams (via MLB.com).

Seattle selected Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft.

He suited up for LSU from 2024-25 before spending time with Double-A Arkansas to open the 2026 season.

Anderson has been dominant in the minor leagues this year, owning a 10-1 record in 18 starts while ranking No. 1 among all Texas League pitchers with his 1.06 ERA and 0.643 WHIP.

He's also racked up 135 strikeouts compared to a mere 13 walks in 93.1 innings of work. Opposing batters are hitting just .147 against him.

Anderson will immediately step into a rotation role with Seattle, as Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto previously confirmed that he wouldn't be used in a bullpen role in the majors.

"We're not going to put Kade in the bullpen," Dipoto said on Aug. 4, per MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. "He's the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues. I think he leads the minor leagues in everything, not [just] the Texas League, but [all of] the minor leagues. And he is trending in every way you can."

The Mariners' starting pitching has been a strength this season, ranking No. 7 among all MLB teams with a combined ERA of 3.89.

Still, Seattle only holds the No. 3 spot in the American League West standings with a 60-68 record. The Mariners sit 4.5 games back from the division lead and three games back from the final AL Wild Card spot.

As they attempt to clinch consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 1999, Anderson will be in the mix.