In the news: the Seattle Mariners leaned into college players on the final day of the MLB draft, their prospects Cade Anderson and Ryan Sloan shined in the Futures Game, and Seattle Reign is preparing for a fierce NWSL derby against Portland Thorns.
What the Mariners did on the final day of the MLB draft: a focus on top college programs
On the final day of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, the Seattle Mariners focused on signing players from major university programs, selecting 15 college students and just one high school graduate. As The Seattle Times reported in an article, of the 16 selections on Sunday, 15 came from college players, and the only exception was outfielder Dominik Santarelli, taken in the 18th round. The day before, the Mariners also prioritized college players: in the first four rounds, they drafted third baseman Ace Reyes (Mississippi State University) in the first round, outfielder Jay Brown (LSU) in the second, pitcher Nathan Taylor (Cincinnati) in the third, and third baseman Trevor Lucas (UNC Wilmington) in the fourth. Over two days, the club signed 19 college players, with most of them coming from top programs: LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, the University of Oregon, and Stanford.
Mariners vice president of amateur scouting Scott Hunter explained the approach on a Sunday phone call: “When we finished day one and the start of day two, we looked at the list and said, ‘We really have a great group of college guys.’ You always think the college players are more mature and right at peak shape. But there’s a lot of room for growth in the guys we took today — we feel like we’re picking them at the right stage of their careers, and they’ll be even better than they are right now.” Hunter noted that in the past, the Mariners have found success with picks from less prestigious schools — for example Logan Gilbert (Stetson, 2018), George Kirby (Elon, 2019), and Brian Woo (Cal Poly, 2021). However, this year the scouting department made a conscious effort to emphasize students from the talent-rich Southeastern Conference (SEC). “I don’t want to say you have to play in the SEC or a big program — that’s not true,” Hunter added. “But this year, players from the SEC — I won’t say it was a priority, but we had real information that pushed us toward these guys.”
Hunter especially highlighted two picks: Florida outfielder Hayden Yost (selected in the fifth round) and Georgia shortstop Ryan Winn (seventh round). “They weren’t the top guys on their teams at the start of the year,” Hunter said. “In big SEC programs, it’s as tight as it is in Major League clubs. If you have a bad weekend, you might not get on the field the following week. Our scouts stuck with these guys.” Yost, a left-hander listed at 6-foot-1 (185 cm), finished the junior season with impressive production: all 10 of his home runs came in his last 24 starts for the Gators. He wrapped up the year with a 26.2% batting average, a 36.9% on-base percentage, and a 58.9% slugging percentage (OPS 0.958), playing primarily left field but also having experience in center. “Yost is a perfect example,” Hunter said. “He didn’t start the season in the lineup, got his chance, adjusted his swing, and then put together a great year. He has ‘plus’ skills, and we believe there’s more ahead.” In baseball, “plus tools” refers to abilities above the scouting-scale average (20 to 80, with 50 representing average and 60 considered a “plus”). Yost and Winn are just two of eight college position players selected on Sunday: joining them were third baseman Henry Ford (Tennessee, sixth round), catcher Mason Eckelman (Ohio State, eighth), second baseman Erik Gean (Stanford, 10th), Minnesota outfielder Charlie Sutherland (15th), Virginia Commonwealth outfielder Michael Petty (19th), and Texas Tech third baseman Connor Schauss (20th).
In addition, the Mariners selected seven college pitchers: right-handers Drew Whealen (Auburn, ninth round), Wyatt Quinn (University of Oregon, 11th), Connor Marshburn (UNC Wilmington, 12th), Anthony Tretto (Tarleton State, 13th), Chris Diaz (Florida Gulf Coast, 14th), and Matthew Mattis (North Carolina, 17th), plus left-hander Chris Torres (South Carolina Upstate, 16th).
This tilt toward senior-year players from the strongest conferences is an obvious Mariners strategy as they look for prospects who are more ready for professional baseball, able to move through the farm system faster. The emphasis on the SEC isn’t just about the level of competition; it’s also because scouts believe the daily grind and high bar within that conference make players more psychologically resilient. Still, passing on most high school players (besides one) could indicate a desire to reduce risks tied to the uncertainty of young talent development. At the same time, Hunter stressed that the selected students have “projectability” — the potential to grow that isn’t always as obvious among college draftees. If at least some of these picks meet expectations, the Mariners could significantly strengthen their system, particularly in position players, an area where the organization has historically had issues. The next few years will show how right the club was to bet on “mature” newcomers from leading programs.
Mariners’ prospects Anderson and Sloan shine in the MLB Futures Game
Last Sunday, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the annual MLB Futures Game took place, showcasing top young talent from every franchise. In the game, which precedes the main MLB All-Star Weekend festivities, the American League won 6-1, and two Seattle Mariners prospects — pitchers Cade Anderson and Ryan Sloan — played a major role. Both came on and threw a scoreless inning, allowing no earned runs.
As detailed in a report on Seattle Sports, Anderson, currently ranked fifth in MLB Pipeline’s top overall prospect list, took the mound in the first inning and handled three of the four hitters he faced, using just 10 pitches. He got Washington Nationals top prospect Eli Willits to pop out, then induced a groundout from Colorado’s Roldy Brito. He allowed a single from the league’s top prospect, Jesus Made of the Milwaukee Brewers, but immediately got Charlie Condon of the Rockies out of the game. The second Mariners representative, Ryan Sloan (ranked eighth on MLB Pipeline), entered as a substitute in the fifth inning and also worked a scoreless frame, though he needed 17 pitches. He topped his fastball at 100 mph, got two opponents to ground out, then surrendered a double to San Francisco’s Dakota Jordan, before finishing the inning with a flyout from the same Jesus Made.
Cade Anderson, who is 22, was drafted by Seattle with the No. 3 pick last year and is making an eye-catching debut in the club’s system at the Double-A level with the Arkansas team. His numbers are truly impressive: across 14 starts, he has an ERA of 1.36. From May 22 to June 19, he posted a record streak of 27.2 innings in a row without allowing a run. Over 72.2 innings, Anderson struck out 108 batters with just 10 walks. He leads the Texas League in virtually every major pitching category: ERA, strikeouts, WHIP (0.69), opponent batting average (0.160), strikeout rate (41.4%), and walk rate (3.8%). It’s an incredible level of domination, especially for such a young pitcher coming from college baseball. Ryan Sloan, who is only 20, was selected in the second round of the 2024 draft straight out of high school. This season he’s also playing for Arkansas, with an ERA of 4.04 after 14 starts, though his ERA has dropped to 2.07 over his last four outings. Sloan has 77 strikeouts and 12 walks in 62.1 innings, and his best performance came on May 30, when he struck out 11 opponents over six perfect innings.
For terminology: the Futures Game is an annual exhibition held as part of MLB’s All-Star Weekend, featuring the top prospects from every team’s farm system. MLB Pipeline is the league’s official ranking of young talent. Double-A is the second level below the top league in the minor league system, where more experienced newcomers play, ready to move up to the majors. ERA (earned run average, or earned runs allowed per nine innings) and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) are standard pitching metrics: the lower they are, the better.
Anderson and Sloan’s successful showing in such a prominent event not only confirms their high ranking, but also points to the impressive depth of the Mariners organization’s pitching development system. The team has a serious opportunity over the next few years to strengthen its starting rotation with these two talents, which could be a key factor in its competitiveness down the line. For now, Mariners fans can closely track their progress in the minors, expecting a fast debut at the highest level.
“Organic and the fiercest”: Seattle Reign hosts Portland Thorns in a cascade derby
On Sunday, July 12, the Seattle Reign will host Portland Thorns in the latest round of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) “Cascade” derby at Lumen Field. For the home team, it’s only their fourth home match of the season, and the club expects nearly 14,000 fans — the fourth-largest attendance in its history. The team is in a rough stretch: it has only one win in its last eight matches. Reign head coach Laura Harvey, in an interview with Sounder at Heart, called the rivalry the most organic and most intense in the league, emphasizing that mutual respect is paired with dislike — and that’s exactly what defines the true spirit of a derby.
Portland enters the match in strong form: the team is second in the standings, and in the last round it thrashed Racing Louisville 4-0. The visitors have scored 24 goals in 14 matches — the best tally in the NWSL. Up front, Sophia Wilson stands out (6 goals), returning after maternity leave, and midfielder Olivia Moultrie (5 goals and 5 assists), playing at an MVP level. Seattle, by contrast, sits 11th with 14 points and only 11 goals scored. After the World Cup break, the team lost to North Carolina (1-3), though it looked relatively good in the first half.
In head-to-head history, the Thorns lead: 18 wins for Portland compared with 16 for Seattle, with 10 draws. However, Seattle’s last win at home came in April 2025, and this past March Portland won 2-0 despite two red cards. Now, the hosts are without injuries to Shea Holmes and Claudia Dickey, and left back Madison Curry is also out — she will be replaced by Rainen Brown or Phoebe McClernon. There is hope for a return from Jess Fishlock, who has been training with the team after a leg injury.
The key question is whether Seattle’s defense can hold off Portland’s attack, especially in the first half, when the visitors are traditionally at their strongest. The Reign need to improve their finishing: the team creates chances but scores infrequently. Harvey noted that after a disappointing match against Portland in March, they worked on creating numerical advantages on the flanks, and it started to pay off in the previous game against North Carolina. Forward Maddie Dalien hopes the crowd’s support will inspire the team to produce the same kind of powerful performance it showed in the U.S. vs. Australia friendly in Seattle.
For Portland, notable absences include injuries to Rayleen Turner and Morgan Weaver, as well as the offseason departure of captain Sam Coffey to Manchester City. But the return of Sophia Wilson and the progress of Pietya Tordyn (4 goals, 6 assists) make the visitors’ attack a serious threat. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. Pacific, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN. The atmosphere at Lumen Field is expected to be one of the key factors in the battle for points in this intense rivalry.
