Anderson solid in MLB debut; Arozarena walks it off for Mariners - ESPN

SEATTLE — Well before Kade Anderson threw his first MLB pitch, the Seattle Mariners' prized left-hander took some time to make a few fans' days.

The 22-year-old Anderson got done with his warmup routine Saturday quicker than usual before his much-ballyhooed big league debut against the Chicago Cubs. So, rather than ignore the young fans who watched his bullpen session, Anderson did a little something out of the ordinary and scribbled his signature a handful of times before the Mariners beat the Cubs 5-4 in walk-off fashion.

Growing up in Slidell, Louisiana, Anderson didn't go to many major league games. But Anderson used to hound LSU baseball players for autographs as a kid, so he was more than willing to lend a few minutes of his time.

«That's what it's all about at the end of the day, to go out there and pitch for the fans,» Anderson said. "… You just got to give back to those kids."

Anderson, the third pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU, became the first player from his draft class to make his major league debut. He looked the part of one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, too, for most of the evening.

Anderson yielded three earned runs in 5⅔ innings, two on back-to-back solo homers in the sixth that ended his outing after 81 pitches. The southpaw departed to a standing ovation from the 45,681 on hand, a figure that included roughly 20 family members and friends.

It could have been worse for Anderson, too, if not for left fielder Randy Arozarena robbing Miguel Amaya of a solo shot in the third.

«I thought it was way gone,» Anderson said of Arozarena's play. «I'm honestly grateful that ball stayed in the park.»

Pete Crow-Armstrong, who led off the sixth with a double, came inches from starting that frame with a