By Hunt Palmer
From the Northshore to the northwest, Kade Anderson is the No. 3 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
The Seattle Mariners selected the sophomore southpaw Sunday evening after two surprising selections at the top.
Washington selected prep infielder Eli Willits, and the Angels followed with UC-Santa Barbara ace Tyler Bremner.
Anderson’s progression from seldom-used freshman talent to the College World Series Most Outstanding Player and high draft choice came quickly. Anderson worked on his body after the 2024 season and picked up a deadly slider to pair with his mid-90s fastball and overhand curve.
The result was a 12-1 record and a nation-leading 180 strikeouts, third is school history behind the two men selected No. 1 overall previously. He was Baseball America’s National Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-American. The Tigers won 17 of Anderson’s 19 starts.
The slot value assigned to the No. 3 pick is $9,504,400.
In 2022, LSU produced the top college position player in the draft in Jacob Berry. Skenes and Dylan Crews went No. 1 and No. 2 in 2023. Anderson becomes the second college player taken in this draft.
The wait for Anderson was a little longer than most projected, but he still lands near the top of the draft.
It’s been quite a run for Jay Johnson’s program churning out some of the best talent in baseball. More will surely follow beginning later Sunday evening.
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