Pitching, pitching ... and more pitching
The action Friday was all about pitching.
Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller made his second of what is likely to be several rehab assignment starts on his way back from an oblique injury. Miller was pretty good Friday for High-A Everett, but he wasn’t the only arm to shine down on the farm.
In his first start last week in Triple-A Tacoma, Miller touched 98.7 mph. He didn’t disappoint in this one, going three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and a walk while striking out six batters.
He hit 98 numerous times and went to his slider plenty in this one, proving no match for High-A hitters. He threw 47 pitches, 35 for strikes. He generated eight whiffs, four of them on fastballs.
The club has stated Miller will likely need most or all of the 30-day limit for pitcher rehab assignments. Friday’s outing was Day 7. At a similar pace, and with some changes as he nears his return, Miller likely gets three more starts, but it’s plausible to get in four more if the outings are spaced out closer to big-league standards.
The Mariners’ 2025 first-round pick and top pitching prospect, Kade Anderson, made his fourth career start Friday and was again outstanding. For me, this was Anderson’s best start as a pro.
His outing was cut a bit short due to the weather, but he went 4.2 shutout innings, yielding one hit. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out eight. He threw 59 pitches, 39 for strikes.
Anderson sat 94-95 mph — 96 tops — with his fastball, locating well, and using the pitch to all four edges. His curveball was plus again, he mixed in an average slider, and his changeup was the best I’ve ever seen it.
When the season began, I explained on the Podcast how I wanted to see two things from Anderson in 2026: First, better fastball command. Second, a better changeup so he can use it more.
Check and check.
I also opined a few weeks back that it shouldn’t be out of the question that Anderson goes to Triple-A before he gets the call to the majors, which very well could be sometime this summer, despite the club’s current riches in the rotation, especially with Miller on track to return in May.
Thus far, Anderson has not run into much of a challenge in the Texas League, and it might behoove the Mariners to find a way to test their prized left-hander.
Once his numbers from Friday’s start hit his tally— once the suspended game becomes official — he’ll have logged 18.2 innings, allowed nine hits, one run, walked four, and fanned 30 of 68 batters faced, a 44% mark.
But it’s not the gaudy numbers, it’s how he’s doing it. Highly efficient, and with four quality pitches, at least two of which look like plus offerings. He’s pounding the zone for called strikes (54 thru four stats), and still inducing whiffs (46).
Fellow Southpaw Mason Peters (No. 13) is making his own mark early in 2026, and was at it again Friday while Anderson was finishing his gem. Peters went four innings, allowed one run on four hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out four. He threw 55 pitches, 37 strikes.
It wasn’t Peters’ best start, but he sat 92-94 mph, showed an average slider, and a plus curveball. I didn’t see many changeups in this one, but he’s flashed a promising one in prior outings. Peters’ ability to spin the baseball is his strength, and he leans into it.
Peters has some similarities to Anderson — both lefties, both with big, sharp curveballs. Peters is a little further away with the third and fourth pitch, and he doesn’t throw quite as hard, but it’s easy to see a No. 4 starter here, assuming he can throw enough strikes and find a way to extinguish right-handed batters consistently.
In four starts, the 22-year-old has allowed four runs on 11 hits in 16 frames. He’s walked three and struck out 25.
