Ex-Gold Glover makes feelings crystal clear after Mariners’ Kade Anderson promotion

The Seattle Mariners (60-68) have crashed into the rocks during the second half of the 2026 season, and now they are frantically trying to patch up the holes and prepare their vessel for an inauspicious yet still possible voyage into the MLB playoffs. Since there is no quick fix for their greatest area of weakness — the lineup — president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is attempting to reinforce this franchise’s pitch-first identity.

Prized left-hander Kade Anderson is joining the big-league roster and will make his debut in Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs. The No. 5 overall prospect, per MLB.com, could infuse much-needed energy into the team and fan base, but he can only compensate so much for the Mariners’ putrid offense. A 2017 World Series champion and 2012 Gold Glove winner was brutally honest about Seattle’s current situation.

“You’re providing an elite pitcher to an already pretty elite pitching staff, with some starts here and there going a little haywire, but it all comes back to hitting,” Houston Astros analyst and retired right fielder Josh Reddick said on Friday’s edition of the “Foul Territory” podcast. “He can’t help boost the lineup’s numbers if he’s only pitching.

“He’s gonna strike out guys, maybe give up one or no runs and he’s gonna get a no-decision after going six or seven innings, and hopefully praying that they can win the ballgame. Obviously, you’re very happy for the kid and he’s deserving of every call-up that he’s getting, but you gotta hit. Hopefully, this can be a boost for the whole clubhouse and not just the pitching staff.”

Calling up Kade Anderson is great, but the Mariners still need to HIT, says @JRedDubDeuce.

"Hopefully this can be a boost for the whole clubhouse and not just the pitching staff." pic.twitter.com/Ig7qms0Go7

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) August 21, 2026

Some fans will dismiss Reddick as an Astros homer, but he is being quite fair to Seattle in his assessment. The Mariners are underachieving to a startling degree this season. They are last in MLB with 500 runs scored and 156 doubles and rank 29th in OPS, batting average and slugging percentage.

The pitching staff has not been as sharp as expected, sitting in 11th in ERA (4.00), so there is a chance that Anderson will make the M’s a more competitive squad down the stretch. But Seattle’s ceiling will remain painfully limited unless its top hitters start performing.

MVP runner-up and record-breaking catcher Cal Raleigh is batting .156 with 13 home runs through 392 plate appearances. Julio Rodriguez has yet to produce one of his signature summer explosions and owns a modest .733 OPS this season. Josh Naylor is hovering around league average after signing a five-year, $92.5 million contract last November. Cole Young is plummeting amid a rough August and fellow former first-round draft pick Colt Emerson is languishing below the Mendoza Line.

Randy Arozarena and Dominic Canzone are enjoying standout campaigns, but the Mariners are collectively failing to build on their historic 2025 season. Kade Anderson has the daunting task of helping them avoid complete embarrassment. Perhaps he can take a couple of swings in batting practice.

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