Seattle Mariners pitching prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan each tossed a scoreless inning during the American League’s 6-1 victory over the National League in the 2026 All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, July 12, at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, showcasing the depth of Seattle’s minor league system.
Kade Anderson took the mound as the American League’s starting pitcher, needing only 10 pitches to navigate his first and only inning. Anderson, identified as MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 overall prospect, operated as a quiet assassin, using a mix of fastballs and sliders to stifle the top of the National League lineup. He induced a popout from Washington Nationals top prospect Eli Willits (Pipeline No. 3) and a groundout from Colorado Rockies prospect Roldy Brito (Pipeline No. 69) before allowing a bloop single to Milwaukee Brewers top prospect Jesús Made (Pipeline No. 1).
Anderson closed his outing by retiring Rockies prospect Charlie Condon (Pipeline No. 62) on a fly ball. USA Today reported that the assignment took just four minutes, with exit velocities against the hitters ranging between 62 and 71 mph. While the box score shows Anderson threw six of his ten pitches for strikes, it is noted that HP umpire Alex Shears clipped Anderson for two pitches at the bottom of the zone that should have been ruled strikes.
Kade Anderson’s Double-A Dominance
The 22-year-old left-hander, the No. 3 overall pick in last year’s draft out of LSU, has spent his first professional season with Double-A Arkansas. Anderson currently holds a 1.36 ERA across 14 starts, a mark that is the best among all qualified pitchers in a full-season league. Nine of his 14 starts this season have been scoreless.
Anderson’s season is defined by an elite strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has recorded 108 strikeouts against only 10 walks over 72 2/3 innings. His 108 K’s are the second most among all Minor League pitchers. This efficiency includes a streak of 27 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings from May 22 through June 19.
Beyond his ERA, Anderson leads qualified pitchers in a full-season league in FIP (1.83), opponents’ batting average (.160), WHIP (0.69) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (37.5%).
WHIP: 0.69
Opponents’ Batting Average: .160
Strikeout Rate: 41.4%
Walk Rate: 3.8%
Rainiel Rodriguez, a top prospect and catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals’ Double-A affiliate in Springfield, described Anderson as nasty and noted his ability to locate every pitch he throws, according to USA Today. Rodriguez added, He’s an amazing pitcher, though he recalled that the first time he faced Anderson, he was struggling a little bit and Rodriguez got a hit.
Ryan Sloan’s Triple-Digit Performance
While Anderson started the game, Ryan Sloan entered in the fifth inning with the AL leading 6-1. The 20-year-old right-hander, a 2024 second-round pick and MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 overall prospect, threw 17 pitches to retire three of the four batters he faced. Sloan reached a 100 mph fastball during his outing.
Sloan induced groundouts from Chicago Cubs prospect Josiah Hartshorn (Pipeline No. 75) and San Francisco Giants prospect Gavin Kilen. After giving up a double to Giants prospect Dakota Jordan, he ended the inning by retiring Jesús Made on a flyout.
Sloan’s regular season with Arkansas has been more volatile than Anderson’s, featuring a 4.04 ERA in 14 starts. However, he has shown high-ceiling potential, including a perfect six-inning, 11-strikeout performance on May 30. His recent form has trended upward, with a 2.07 ERA over his last four outings.
The Road to T-Mobile Park
The Mariners currently boast a deep major league rotation featuring Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock, Luis Castillo, and Bryce Miller.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson expressed excitement over Anderson’s trajectory, noting, “He has had a tremendous half and has thrown the ball extremely well. It being his first professional season, that’s really impressive. Really exciting that he gets the ball tomorrow, and I think we’ll be interested to see how it all goes for him.”
This Futures Game success serves as a redemption for Anderson following a poor showing in the Spring Breakout game. Anderson struggled with command in that appearance, walking four hitters in over two innings and surrendering a three-run home run on a hanging slider.
The timeline for a major league call-up remains unspecified, though a promotion may not be too far off in the distance for the southpaw, who turned 22 on Monday, July 13.
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