Futures Game stage only added to Mariners' Kade Anderson vs. Ryan Sloan debate

As the Mariners have fought this season to even remain above .500, there's been a much more fun battle taking place in their farm system between Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan. Scouts and analysts alike don't seem to be able to decide/agree who's the better prospect. And Sunday's Futures Game will have only intensified the debate.

Anderson got the start for the American League roster, a well-deserved honor for the highest-ranked pitcher in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list. He took just 10 pitches to work through a scoreless opening inning, in which he only gave up a bloop single. His confidence is sky-high at the moment and perfectly illustrated by his actions on what would be the final out in the bottom of the first:

As good as Anderson was however, it was his Double-A Arkansas teammate who arguably stole the show on the day. And this was no mean feat by Sloan, given that the Futures Game also featured the Pirates' top-rated prospect, Seth Hernandez. Keith Law of The Athletic waxed lyrical about Sloan, who showed off five pitches during a scoreless fifth inning, when he only gave up a double.

The righty was electric, as his four-seamer averaged 98.1 mph and at one point reached 100, while his second-best weapon was the kick-change. His best moment came when he faced Jesús Made, the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Despite also contending with a runner in scoring position, the 20-year-old got Made to fly out.

Ryan Sloan seemingly built for high-profile events

Admittedly, Law is very much a fan of Sloan, so was always prone to giving a favorable review, but in fairness he wasn't the only one. Pitch Profiler also provided a glowing report, courtesy of their detailed analytical breakdown of the outing on Sunday. The Futures Game also provided more credence to why Baseball America actually rates Sloan as the top pitching prospect in baseball.

The thing is though, this isn't even the first time when Sloan has outshone Anderson in a high-profile setting. Sloan took the majority of the plaudits in the late-March Spring Breakout game versus the Brewers, thanks to a dominating performance. Despite facing the best farm system in baseball, he went nine-up and nine-down in three scoreless innings.

Before anyone accuses us of having a favorite, Anderson has proven to be the more polished pitcher this season, as evidenced by leading the minors with a 1.36 ERA and 0.688 WHIP in 14 starts. This is quite simply remarkable, for a player in his first season of professional action. For all the talk about Sloan having the higher ceiling, Anderson seems more ready for the majors despite being drafted a year later.

Who is more likely to get the call-up first to the majors?

In this respect, it was almost inevitable that Anderson would be asked about potentially getting the big league call up this year. However, in keeping with his mature approach on the mound, he gave a level-headed response. As per John Leuzzi of USA Today sports, he said: "My time will come. … I don’t want to play this game for this season. I want to play this game for a long time."

There has been some talk about the Mariners creating a super bullpen for their stretch run, which could include callups for both Anderson and Sloan at the beginning of September. On the other hand, we'd hate to see them both rushed up if they're not quite ready. In this respect, you could contend Sloan still needs time in the minors, with him being more prone to peaks and valleys this season in Arkansas.

Honestly though, this is like pass-the-popcorn stuff for fans in the Pacific Northwest. Whoever you prefer, the fact both are with the Mariners is a tremendous reason to be excited. Certainly, the future of the M's rotation seems to be in safe hands, and long may the debate continue as to who's better, with the hope they will continually push each other to greater heights.

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