The future looks bright for top prospects Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan, with the Seattle Mariners set to benefit for years to come.
Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2026 All-Star Futures Game on Wednesday, with top pitching prospect duo Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan selected to represent the Mariners. The game will take place on Sunday, July 12 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia at 9:00 a.m. PT and will be televised on NBC.
The privilege of being selected to participate in the annual exhibition game is well deserved for Anderson and Sloan, with both coming on in leaps and bounds this season. They are both in the Top 10 prospect lists for MLB Pipeline and Baseball America, with Anderson specifically rated as the best pitching prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
Justin Toole, Mariners Director of Player Development, released a statement to praise both pitchers for their inclusion on the American League futures roster. Toole said:
“This is a well-deserved honor for both Kade and Ryan, two of the most exciting pitching prospects in baseball. We are looking forward to watching them represent the Mariners in Philadelphia.”
Only a matter of time before Kade Anderson makes his Mariners debut
For Anderson, plenty was expected of him after being selected third overall in the 2025 draft by the Mariners, with him coming off an outstanding college career at Louisiana State. In his last season he was awarded the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after helping the Tigers win the national title, and was named the Baseball America College Pitcher of the Year.
However, even the Mariners couldn’t have anticipated just how quickly Anderson would develop, with him going 8-0 in his first 13 professional starts with Double-A Arkansas. Among other things, he leads the Texas League with a 1.22 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 99 strikeouts and an opposing team .162 batting average.
As a result, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has essentially admitted Anderson will likely make this Major League debut at some point this season. The only thing holding the lefty up at the moment is finding innings for him to pitch with the Mariners, but at the latest, expect to see him called up at the beginning of September when rosters are expanded.
Ryan Sloan a bit rougher around the edges but could still also get the call-up by September
As for Sloan, his progress hasn’t been quite as smooth from a productivity perspective, but there are some who believe he has more upside than Anderson. Baseball America actually has him as the higher-rated prospect, but no matter who scouts prefer, it’s a nice ‘problem’ for the Mariners to have.
Sloan was selected in the second round of the 24 draft out of York Community High School, with him producing a 0.30 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 46.0 innings as a senior. His outstanding play during the campaign resulted in him being named the Illinois Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.
This year is Sloan’s first season of exposure to Double-A ball and he has started 13 times, producing a 4.11 ERA, 1.211 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 57.0 innings. He has shown steady improvement as the campaign has progressed, and in his past five outings has a 2.81 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 25.2 innings.
Photos courtesy of Tim Rogers Photography
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