Mariners' 2025 draft class is already looking like a huge win for the pitching lab

Shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 draft, some already suggested that the Mariners had come away with the best group of players. Now that all of them have gotten a chance to get their professional careers off the ground, there's data to actually back that claim.

Seattle took a compelling mix of talent and while some of the bats arealready making a strong impression, it's the arms that have stood head and shoulders above the competition.

The pitching talent in the Mariners' 2025 draft class is taking advantage of the organization's elite development

Kade Anderson, who was the team's first pick and the third overall selection, has somehow already exceeded his lofty expectations, posting a 0.48 ERA over 18.2 innings in Double-A Arkansas. After leading LSU to a College World Series win, he was the most recognizable name, but he's not the only one that has been making a splash in the minors.

Mason Peters (SEA No. 15 prospect) was a fourth-round pick with plenty of question marks given his limited career outside of junior college. He primarily served as a reliever but is now being trained as a starter. Although he's in a new role and doesn't quite carry the same name value as other Seattle prospects, he has put up solid numbers in Single-A, posting a 2.81 ERA over 16 innings with an impressive 41.7 strikeout rate.

Colton Shaw spent his first few seasons at Yale as a first baseman before transitioning to pitching full time in 2024. He was taken in the seventh round and isn't a top 30 prospect, but has been posting strong numbers with High-A Everett. Across 20.1 innings pitched, he has a 2.66 ERA with a 28.6 strikeout rate and a 3.9 walk rate.

Jackson Steensma (0.90 ERA in Single-A) and Casey Hintz (3.00 ERA in High-A) are two more late draft picks who have managed to exceed expectations. Steensma dropped to the ninth round after missing all of his 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and has already surpassed what he accomplished at Appalachian State, maintaining an impressive strikeout rate of 50.0 with a walk rate of just 2.9. Hintz had a college ERA of 5.17 while at the University of Arizona and fell all the way to the 16th round, but has seemingly figured it out in Everett.

The Mariners have become known for their excess of pitching talent but recently, their farm system has skewed towards favoring position players. Of their top 10 prospects, just two (Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan) are pitchers. Luckily, the organization has Director of Pitching Strategy Trent Blank to thank for this newest crop of promising arms.

He was the one that said that if it were up to him, Bryan Woo would've been the first overall pick in 2021 and he's played an integral role in the team's pitching development ever since. Last year, he talked to David Laurila of FanGraphs about how the Mariners think about drafting and fostering the growth of young players and the strategy is responsible for the team's current rotation of homegrown guys.

Seattle is in a very privileged place of having an incredible amount of talent both at the major and minor league level. So, as the current crop of pitchers phase out due to free agency and possible trades, there will be younger, fresher arms to take their places. The success of baseball teams often comes in waves, but the Mariners' outlook indicates that it should be steady seas for at least a few more years.

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