The 2025 MLB Draft provided a pair of surprises at No. 1 and No. 2 overall, as the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angeles selected shortstop Eli Willits and pitcher Tyler Bremner, respectively.
That left the Seattle Mariners at No. 3 overall with some experts' top-four players still on the board.
And it sounds like they knocked it out of the park like a Cal Raleigh home run.
The Mariners selected LSU left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson - most mock draft's No. 1 player - with the third pick.
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The Sporting News immediately slapped an "A" on the pick.
"Anderson is not Paul Skenes and shouldn't be expected to be Paul Skenes, but there isn't anything to complain about here. Anderson has a strong case to be the best prospect in this draft and has a high floor, so he should be on a fast-track to the majors for a Mariners franchise that knows how to develop starters. Anderson doesn't blow hitters away, but there might be room for increased velocity that could make him a potential frontline starter at the MLB level."
CBS was also quick to five Seattle an "A" on the selection.
"Anderson would have been a defensible No. 1 pick. He's an SEC-vetted lefty with four above-average offerings who ought to be in the majors by this time next year. It doesn't hurt his chances of having a long career that the Mariners have demonstrated they're highly skilled at pitching development. Grade: A"
Anderson was Baseball America's 2025 College Pitcher of the Year after leading LSU to a national championship with a 3.18 ERA and an NCAA-leading 180 strikeouts.
The left-hander capped off the year as the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after throwing 16 innings while allowing just one run and striking out 17.