The Unbelievable Has Happened. Kade Anderson Falls into the Mariners Lap in the MLB Draft

Going into the 2025 MLB Draft tonight there weren’t a ton of certainties. It was unclear what the Nationals, having fired their General Manager a week before the draft, would do with their first overall pick. Then, who knows what the Angels, being the Angels, would do with the second overall pick. This provided a lot of uncertainty to the Mariners first round pick at third overall. 

Despite these uncertainties, the consensus that had formed among many analysts was that LSU LHP Kade Anderson would likely go first overall to the Nationals. Then, Tennessee's LHP Liam Doyle would go second overall to the Angels. There were some thoughts that Ethan Holliday would sneak into the top two picks, but many thought this scenario would be how it would play out. 

I’ve liked Kade Anderson for a while now and wanted him to be the Mariners pick for much of this College Baseball season. When I watched Kade Anderson at LSU I did see dreams of Max Fried and hoped he would be the Mariners 2025 first round draft pick at third overall. But after Kade Anderson’s College World Series performance I thought Anderson had played his way into the very top of the MLB Draft and out of the Mariners reach.

MLB Draft Analysts and I were proven wrong Sunday night though when the clock started on the MLB Draft and it all unbelievably fell into place. The Nationals’ pick was the first shock, drafting High School (OK) SS Eli Willits. Then, the Angels drafted University of Santa Barbara’s RHP Tyler Bremner with the second pick. I, as a Mariners fan, couldn’t believe the impossible had now become probable. Kade Anderson sitting there undrafted at number three. 

I then hoped the Mariners hadn’t settled so far into a plan that they would let Kade Anderson slip by another spot and draft JoJo Parker, Aiva Arquette or Seth Hernandez. But the Mariners did the damn thing and drafted Kade Anderson with the third overall pick. An absolute steal, especially considering they are reportedly getting him for under slot value. 

While not all things are certain when it comes to MLB draft picks, it feels that the Mariners just lucked into the jackpot with this draft pick. Scott Hunter and Jerry Dipoto have done it again.

Kade Anderson, YOU ARE a Seattle Mariner.