Kade Anderson throws yet another gem in Double-A | Mariners extra
Welcome to The Seattle Times' Sunday inside baseball page, where we review the week that was on the diamond, highlight key trends with the Mariners and present our weekly MLB Power Rankings.
Stat of the Week
125
Julio Rodríguez has posted a 125 wRC+ through his first 254 plate appearances of the season, extending the best start in any of his five major-league seasons. Rodríguez hit his 11th home run Friday night and entered the weekend with a 13-game on-base streak. The Mariners' All-Star center fielder had a 110 wRC+ at this same stage in 2025; a 93 wRC+ in 2024; a 111 wRC+ in 2023; and a 119 wRC+ as a rookie in 2022. Note: wRC+ is a metric that measures a player's total offensive contribution, adjusted for ballpark factors, with 100 representing league average.
Prospect Watch
Arkansas Travelers left-hander Kade Anderson, the Mariners' top pitching prospect, was as impressive as ever Friday night, scattering two hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings with no walks and nine strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over the Frisco RoughRiders in North Little Rock. Since allowing a career-high five runs in a May 15 start, Anderson has thrown back-to-back scoreless starts, allowing five hits with two walks and 16 strikeouts in 10 innings. The No. 3 overall pick in last summer's MLB draft has a 1.43 ERA in his first nine career pro season, with a 67-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 innings.
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The Athletic's Keith Law updated his Top 50 prospect list, and four Mariners prospects are featured:
4. Kade Anderson, LHP (Double-A)
8. Ryan Sloan, RHP (Double-A)
17. Felnin Celesten (High-A)
Just missed the top 50: Luke Stevenson, C (High-A)
Another left-hander, Peyton Alford, made his Triple-A debut Tuesday with a scoreless inning in relief for Tacoma, a couple days after earning his promotion from Arkansas. The 28-year-old Alford had a 1.42 ERA and a 30-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 19 innings for the Travelers this season.
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Who's Hot
Since April 17, Josh Naylor ranks fifth in MLB with a .336 batting average, with five doubles, three homers and an .833 OPS in his previous 137 at-bats. He also ranks in the top three in MLB with 12 steals in his last 34 games.
Who's Not
Andrés Muñoz blew his fourth save of the season Friday night, though he managed to escape a bases-loaded, no-outs jam by allowing only one run.
Ex-Mariner of the Week
Diamondbacks left-hander Brandyn Garcia threw a scoreless inning in relief against the Mariners on Friday night, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. In 12 appearances this season, Garcia has allowed only one earned run in 10 innings, with 11 strikeouts and two walks. Garcia was part of the trade, along with minor-league right-hander Ashton Izzi, that brought Naylor to Seattle last summer.
Mariners Top 5: Closing time
As part of the M's 50th season, we'll look back each week at the team's all-time leaders in various statistical categories. This week, the top five leaders in saves. Source: Baseball Reference.
Career
1. Kazuhiro Sasaki, 129
2. Edwin Díaz, 109
3. J.J. Putz, 101
4. Mike Schooler, 98
5. Andrés Muñoz, 86
Season
1. Edwin Díaz, 57 (2018)
2. Fernando Rodney, 48 (2014)
3. Kazuhiro Sasaki, 45 (2001)
4. J.J. Putz, 40 (2007)
5. David Aardsma, 38 (2009)
5. Andrés Muñoz, 38 (2025)
Power Rankings
MLB's definitive weekly rankings, from The Times' Adam Jude
1. Braves (Last week: 1)
2. Rays (2)
3. Dodgers (3)
4. Yankees (6)
5. Brewers (5)
6. Guardians (4)
7. Padres (7)
8. Phillies (10)
9. Cardinals (9)
10. Mariners (13)
11. Pirates (11)
12. Cubs (8)
13. Diamondbacks (16)
14. White Sox (15)
15. Blue Jays (14)
16. Reds (17)
17. Nationals (21)
18. A's (12)
19. Rangers (18)
20. Astros (27)
21. Twins (20)
22. Orioles (24)
23. Mets (25)
24. Marlins (23)
25. Red Sox (22)
26. Tigers (19)
27. Royals (26)
28. Giants (28)
29. Angels (30)
30. Rockies (29)
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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 11:38 PM.