Kade Anderson just dropped his best outing as a big-leaguer against the Rangers: six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts and just one walk. That single free pass? Yeah, that’s the good stuff, the clearest sign he’s getting back to the guy who absolutely tore up Double-A just this past year. For a guy who’d been struggling to find his footing, this performance was exactly what the Emerald City needed to see from our young arm.
The Big League Blender Just Hits Different
Let’s be real, Anderson’s start in the big leagues was rough. After absolutely blistering through the minor leagues, setting records and making it look easy, his first three MLB games were a bit of a reality check. He gave up a combined nine runs and seven walks, and his command was, well, not pinpoint. It’s unfamiliar territory for a champion collegiate, no doubt. The source even mentioned him playing more defense than offense in his at-bats, which, for a pitcher, tells you something about how much traffic was on the bases. Sending him back to Triple-A wasn’t even a real option; there was little developmental value there, and Tacoma’s season only had a week left anyway. So, our man Anderson found himself in that relatable spot: fake it until you make it.
From Oakland Nightmare to Ranger Redemption
We saw glimpses of the real Kade against Toronto, where he was actually ahead of hitters for a few innings despite his four-seamer missing armside up a bit too often. But development ain’t linear, folks. His next outing against the A’s? His worst yet. Missed locations, an egregious first-pitch homer to Gelof, shaking Cal Raleigh multiple times (even leading to a walk once!), long battles with hitters, and a four-pitch walk. He just couldn’t land his curveball for strikes. After that five-inning, four-run mess, a shell-shocked Anderson called his performance “unacceptable.” And yeah, the M’s ended up losing that one 7-8 to the A’s. Brutal.
But then came the Rangers game. He credited a massive mental shift, inspired in part by none other than Cal Raleigh. After Anderson gave up an early homer to Jake Burger, our catcher, Cal, said *something* to him. Anderson wouldn’t spill the exact words, but he said it allowed him to be more aggressive in the zone. That’s the key, right? The best pitchers trust their stuff, and it sounds like Cal helped Kade find that belief again. You could see it; he got ahead in counts early, coaxed poor contact, and forced those Rangers batters to react to *him*.
With time running out on the Mariners’ own season, seeing Anderson find that rhythm again, especially with Cal Raleigh’s help, is massive. What happens in his next start? You know we’ll be watching every pitch. Go M’s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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