MLB Pipeline's newest poll won't quiet cries for Mariners to rush Kade Anderson

Seattle Mariners fans can watch one nasty prospect clip and start penciling in his MLB debut the same day. And MLB Pipeline didn’t exactly calm anyone’s nerves this week.

In its latest “best tools” poll of front-office execs, Seattle’s newest prized lefty, Kade Anderson, showed up in a way that screams “fast mover.” He received votes in the best secondary pitch category, and he topped the leaderboard for “pitchability,” the catch-all label for command, feel, and the ability to actually land your whole mix where you want it. 

Mariners prospect Kade Anderson earns loud respect and fuels the call up debate

For one, “pitchability” is absolutely a made-up word. But the jargon is useful in concept. And it’s the kind of compliment that will make Mariners fans start reading MiLB box scores before he’s assigned at any level. Pipeline’s write-up points to why Anderson went No. 3 in the 2025 Draft: a four-pitch mix that’s at least above-average, plus the confidence he can throw it for strikes. They highlight a 2.6 BB/9 at LSU in 2025 and a 70 percent strike rate on his slider/curve/change combined. 

Then Pipeline piled on with a separate feature teeing up top prospects expected to make their professional debuts in 2026 — and Anderson is right there in the thick of it. They call him a potential ace out of LSU, and label his “rare polish” as a reason he could move quickly through the Minors. 

So, the “rush him” chatter isn’t going away. And we won’t even pretend it’s irrational. If you’re trying to project what plays in the big leagues fastest, it’s usually strike-throwing, a deep mix, and a guy who doesn’t need three months to learn where the zone is. Anderson checks all of that on paper.

But here’s the part Mariners fans won’t love: Seattle can afford to be boring with this. The smartest plan is still the unsexy one — treat Anderson like a long-term asset, not a quick fix. That’s been the drumbeat from the “be patient” side for a reason. When Mariners starters are healthy, they already have a rotation most teams spend all winter trying to attain. That reality should change the question to, “How do we make sure he’s still nasty in 2028?” 

If Anderson forces the issue with dominance, fine. There will be a valid reason to let his performance dictate the timeline. But polls and tidy college walk rates shouldn’t become a shortcut to skipping steps. The Mariners don’t need to win the pitching prospect hype cycle in spring. They need to land a frontline lefty who can hold up, take the ball, and matter when the games get tight.