This Duo Could Be Seattle's Next World Series Secret Weapon
Jim Callis, MLB Pipeline's senior writer, just dropped some serious praise on the Mariners' pitching prospects, and honestly, it has us fired up. Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan aren't just good prospects. According to Callis, they're the best lefty-righty duo of pitching prospects in all of baseball right now. And both are taking the mound during Friday's spring breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Next Trey Yesavage?
Remember Trey Yesavage? The Toronto Blue Jays' right-hander went from a September call-up to a World Series champion in basically one year. First-round pick in 2024, Yesavage posted a 1-0 record and 3.24 ERA with 16 strikeouts over 14 innings in three regular season starts in September. Then in the playoffs, he was absolutely electric: a 3-1 record with a 3.58 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 27 and 2/3 innings. He even earned the win in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Mariners and Game 5 of the World Series against the Dodgers.
Now picture Kade Anderson doing that for Seattle this October. Callis sees it happening. "If you're looking for somebody to be the Trey Yesavage of 2026 to go from the first round of the draft one year to playoff hero the next, that could be Kade Anderson," he said. The 21-year-old Anderson comes with four plus pitches: fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. All of them can be his best on any given day. What sets him apart is the advanced control and command paired with a tough competitor's mentality. Coming from LSU, Anderson already knows high-pressure baseball better than most prospects.
A Second-Round Steal
Then there's Ryan Sloan, the 20-year-old right-hander who dominated his first full pro season in 2025. Here's the thing: Sloan was drafted in the second round of 2024, which Callis calls a straight-up steal for the Mariners.
"He was as good as any high school right-hander in the 2024 draft," Callis explained. "But the way the industry works is people are skittish on taking high school pitchers, especially right-handers, and they'd rather take them with their second pick than with their first pick. He should have been a mid-first-round pick."
Sloan has three pitches and advanced control for a high schooler, plus an incredibly physical frame. And this is where it gets wild: Callis sees echoes of Gerrit Cole in him at the same stage of Cole's career. "The Mariners looked up and there's Ryan Sloan in the second round just sitting there for him, which they didn't expect, and they jumped on him. He had a really good year last year."
Callis is convinced both guys are heading to the majors quickly. If either of them becomes Seattle's version of Yesavage this October, the Emerald City is going to absolutely lose it.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.