SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners prized left-hander Kade Anderson will make his major-league debut Saturday to start against the Chicago Cubs, manager Dan Wilson said Friday.
Anderson, 22, is the top pitching prospect and No. 5 prospect overall, according to MLB.com. He dominated the competition in his first minor-league season, going 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 18 starts for Double-A Arkansas. He struck out 135 batters and walked 13 in 93 1/3 innings.
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The Mariners selected Anderson with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU. When he takes the mound Saturday, Anderson will become the first player from his draft class to make his major-league debut.
“So excited about that,” Wilson said. “What an incredible season Kade Anderson has had down at the Double-A level. It’s extremely exciting to have him here and we’re excited to get him on the mound tomorrow.”
It is unclear yet if Anderson will be making a spot start to help the Mariners form a six-man rotation or take the place of one of the five right-handed starters. In early August, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Anderson would begin his MLB career as a starter.
“We’re not going to put Kade in the bullpen,” Dipoto said. “He’s the best starting pitcher in the minor leagues.”
There is no obvious candidate for Anderson to replace. After the Mariners traded right-hander Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox ahead of the trade deadline, they still were left with former All-Stars Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, former first-round pick Emerson Hancock, George Kirby and Bryce Miller.
Woo, who originally was scheduled to start Saturday, left his last outing after 75 pitches because of shoulder soreness. But Woo has remained with the team since his most recent appearance. Wilson doesn’t envision an injured-list stint for Woo, who could miss his next scheduled start.
Anderson, who arrived in Seattle on Friday, joins the club at a time when it is in need of reinforcements.
The Mariners entered Friday at 60-68 after the Milwaukee Brewers beat them 7-4 a day earlier. They are 5-9 over their last 14 games and sit four games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. Earlier this week, the Brewers beat the Mariners 22-0, which matched baseball’s modern-era record for the most lopsided shutout.
“Where we’re at with the season and how we feel like this last month plus of baseball shakes up, and I think Kade is a guy that can help us in that department,” Wilson said.
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The Mariners won the AL West and reached the AL Championship Series last season. The Cubs, meanwhile, entered Friday at 74-54 and hold the top wild-card spot in the National League.