Next steps for Kade Anderson after Mariners rookie wins MiLB Pitcher of the Year

October is here, and although the Mariners' season is over, there are still plenty of nods to hand out to the players who gave Seattle something to be excited about during an otherwise sluggish season.

One of those players is rookie pitcher Kade Anderson. The Mariners' 22-year-old left-handed pitcher made his Major League debut in August, arriving when Seattle still had a glimmer of postseason hope. Whatever happened to their season from there, it wasn't due to Anderson. If anything, his arrival gave the team another reason to believe a late-season push just might be possible.

Before Seattle called him up, Anderson was putting together one of the most impressive minor-league seasons, and now he's got the hardware to prove it. Anderson was named Minor League Baseball's Pitching Prospect of the Year and Debut of the Year at the MiLB Awards. Fitting, considering what Anderson accomplished in his first professional season.

As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, Anderson went straight from LSU to Double-A Arkansas. While there, he went 10-1 with a 1.06 ERA and 0.64 WHIP in 18 starts. He struck out 135 hitters, and walked 13. He held his minor league opponents to a .147 batting average. He also pitched five no-hit innings twice and recorded 13 scoreless outings, all before coming to Seattle.

On August 22, the Mariners called up Anderson, who made seven starts during his rookie season. He finished 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.23 WHIP while striking out 32 hitters and waking nine. An impressive debut, when considering he went from Double-A to the Majors in just a few weeks.

Incredibly, Anderson also went seven scoreless innings at Coors Field, striking out seven and allowing just four hits.

What's next for Kade Anderson and the Seattle Mariners?

While Anderson's debut was definitely impressive, there is always room to improve, especially for a rookie pitcher. That's where the offseason matters as Anderson looks to build on his first seven starts.

One area to watch is his velocity.

Throughout the 2026 season, Anderson averaged around 93.5 mph with his fastball. Overwhelming? No. But he has shown he can be effective with that velocity thanks to his command and ability to mix four pitches. MLB Pipeline noted that Anderson entered the season as the only prospect with four above-average-or-better pitches. Even a small increase in velocity would push Anderson to the next level, making him lethal on the mound.

Another area to watch is Anderson's control. His ability to get ahead of hitters was obvious in the Minors, where he walked just 13 hitters in 93.1 innings. Even more impressive was how he carried that over to Seattle. In the Majors, he walked nine hitters in 35.2 innings, already a manageable number, but Anderson has shown the potential to be even better.

Baseball America noted how unusual his command was during his time with Arkansas. He rarely fell behind in counts, and his ability to immediately correct mistakes helped him stay out of sticky situations. If he could trim his walk rate just a little bit more, he could put an awful lot of pressure on opposing hitters.

Finally, the Mariners will have to keep an eye on Anderson's splits. His rookie season produced reverse platoon splits, with a .655 OPS vs. righties and an .872 OPS vs. lefties. While it's worth noting, it's not something to overreact about just yet. Anderson's Major League sample is too small to determine if those numbers represent a weakness, and it is something the Mariners will certainly work on during the offseason as Anderson continues to adjust to Major League hitters.

It's easy to look at Anderson's 3.79 ERA and call his rookie season good. But it's important to recognize that this is only the starting point, and there is plenty of opportunity for him to get even better. Now, with the offseason here, the Mariners can turn their attention to 2027 and watch Kade Anderson continue developing into the pitcher he can become.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow