Mariners reportedly calling up top pitching prospect Kade Anderson with postseason hopes fading

Anderson, a 22-year-old lefty, pitched to a 1.06 ERA in the minors this season Aug 20, 2026 at 7:09 pm ET • 2 min read With their postseason hopes fading, the Seattle Mariners are turning to their top prospect. Left-hander Kade Anderson, the No. 3 pick in last summer's draft, will be called up to start Saturday's game, reports ESPN. When he debuts, Anderson will be the first 2025 draft pick to reach the big leagues.Coming into 2026, we ranked Anderson as the 22nd-best prospect in baseball and the fifth-best pitching prospect. Five months into the season, he is widely considered the best pitching prospect in the game. Here's our preseason scouting report:The quick hook: Polished southpaw who will move quicklyMLB ETA: Late summer 2026Anderson appeared to be in the running for the No. 1 pick until late in the draft cycle. He slipped to No. 3 after the Angels opted for Tyler Bremner, which looks like a stroke of luck for the Mariners. Anderson has four above-average offerings and he survived a thorough SEC vetting. There's every reason to expect him to zip through the minors, perhaps even debuting late this season. Long term, Anderson should grow into a No. 2 or 3 starter under the Mariners' guidance.Anderson has been dominant in minor leaguesAnderson, 22, has been simply sensational in the minors this season. He's pitched to a 1.06 ERA while striking out 135 and walking only 13 in 93 ⅓ innings, all at Double-A. That 1.05 ERA is the lowest in the minors among the 479 pitchers with at least 70 innings. Anderson's 10.4 K/BB ratio is tops among those 479 pitchers by more than three points.The Mariners are skipping Anderson over Triple-A, which is not an uncommon move these days. That is especially true with pitchers. The Triple-A Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly. It is not a great environment for a young pitcher, so teams have taken to skipping their best young arms over Triple-A altogether. Right-hander Bryan Woo was originally lined up to start Saturday. The Mariners have not yet announced their rotation plans, though it seems likely they will push everyone back a day and use Anderson's start to give everyone in the rotation extra rest. Seattle used a six-man rotation at times earlier this year, before trading away Luis Castillo at the deadline.The timing of the call-up means Anderson will not accrue the 45 days of service time necessary to exhaust rookie status. He will go into 2026 as a rookie-eligible player and possibly the favorite to be named AL Rookie of the Year. If Anderson wins the award, the Mariners will net a Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick.Thursday afternoon's loss (MIL 7, SEA 4) was Seattle's ninth in its last 13 games. They're 60-68 and 4 ½ games back in the AL West, and three games behind the third wild card spot with six teams ahead of them. The Mariners will host the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park for Anderson's MLB debut on Saturday.