Mariners gifted best pitcher in 2025 MLB Draft thanks to rival's massive mistake

The Seattle Mariners have chosen standout LSU left-hander Kade Anderson with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. It was a truly remarkable moment, not least of which because the Mariners were supposed to have basically zero chance of making it happen.

For this, they owe an American League West rival a "Thank You" card.

Though many last-minute mocks — i.e., MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN — had Anderson going to the Washington Nationals at No. 1, they passed on him to take prep shortstop Eli Willits. That left Anderson there for the Los Angeles Angels at No. 2, and them doing exactly that felt like a lay-up.

Instead, they committed one of the most shocking reaches in the recent history of the MLB Draft by taking UC Santa Barbara right-hander Tyler Bremner. He is MLB Pipeline's No. 18 draft prospect, whereas Anderson ranks No. 2 behind only prep infielder Ethan Holliday.

The Angels have dug their own grave by leaving Anderson for the Mariners

As for what this means for the Mariners, it's really this simple: They got the guy they wanted.

Every single one of the mocks mentioned above featured notes about the Mariners preferring Anderson at No. 3, with Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline being especially blunt: "The Mariners would love for Anderson to land here, but that seems unlikely."

It is little wonder, then, that the Mariners' pick was in what felt like microseconds after the Angels went for Bremner. And given the circumstances, there would seem to be little question that their loss is going to end up being the Mariners' gain.

If the Mariners have been known for anything in recent years, it's taking talented college pitchers in the draft and molding them into ace-caliber major league pitchers. They've done it with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo, the latter of whom has forced his way into the conversation of the best starting pitchers in MLB this year.

And now here comes Anderson. The 21-year-old checks all the boxes of a future ace, with MLB Pipeline rating all four of his pitches (plus his control) as above average. He's also joining the Seattle system with incredible momentum, as he's fresh off a season with the Tigers in which he fanned 180 batters in only 119 innings. By the end, he was channeling Paul Skenes as he led LSU to the national championship.

The addition of Anderson further deepens a Mariners farm system that already has nine prospects within MLB Pipeline's top 100. And according to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball, the lefty is looking at an $8.8 million signing bonus. That would be $700,000 below the slot value of $9.5 million for the No. 3 pick, which would be a nice bit of savings on the second-biggest bonus pool in the draft.

In all, the only logical conclusion right now is that the Mariners have scored a huge win with their first pick in the draft. It's a thrilling moment for the franchise, and it'll only feel better once they get to rub the Angels' noses in it when Anderson becomes the next mainstay in their rotation.