Mariners selected the contract of LHP Kade Anderson from Double-A Arkansas.
It’s time. Anderson’s meteoric rise concludes with his major-league debut against the Cubs on Saturday following an unprecedented 18-start run at Double-A Arkansas where he compiled a microscopic 1.06 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 135/13 K/BB ratio across 93 1/3 innings in his professional debut. The 22-year-old southpaw, who was the third-overall selection in last year’s draft, offers enough strikeout upside to be relevant in all fantasy formats over the final five weeks of the season. His signature offering is an upper-80s slider that he can consistently land in the strike zone for strikes, while also burying it below the zone to generate whiffs as a putaway pitch. It’s so early in his long-term development trajectory that fantasy managers should keep realistic expectations in check, but it’s not hyperbolic to assert that Anderson is unquestionably one of the more exciting, front-of-the-rotation caliber pitching prospects to reach the big leagues in recent memory. He’s long gone in most competitive fantasy leagues and should remain rostered until further notice.
