Kade Anderson of LSU has been getting a lot of buzz to potentially be the number one pick for Washington Nationals
The race for the number one pick in the MLB Draft has been wide open. Since the college baseball season started, I have written about at least half a dozen names that could go with the number 1 pick in the draft. I thought I had all my bases covered, but a new contender has risen to the forefront, left handed pitcher Kade Anderson from LSU.
As a draft eligible sophomore who had one good but not great year at LSU, Anderson was under the radar heading into the season. There were bigger names with longer resumes like Jamie Arnold and Tyler Bremner. However, Anderson has out-pitched both of those guys while playing in a tougher conference. He has been the strikeout king of the SEC.
A couple years ago there was another under the radar LSU pitcher who’s dominant run made him the number one overall pick. His name was Paul Skenes, one of the best pitchers in baseball these days. Anderson could be the second LSU pitcher in 3 years to go 1-1.
However, Anderson is a very different profile to Skenes. Skenes was a massive right hander with triple-digit velocity. Anderson is none of those things. He is a lean 6’2 southpaw who’s fastball works more in the low-mid 90’s. However, he is extremely polished and has a great feel for spin.
Some scouts have compared his clean delivery and aptitude to Max Fried according to Baseball America. That is lofty praise, as Fried is a true ace and one of the best pitchers in baseball. However, with the number one pick those are the kind of guys you want.
Despite not having an 100 MPH fastball, Anderson has been a strikeout machine in the SEC. He has 163 strikeouts in 103 innings this year. Along with all the strikeouts, Anderson has done a good job limiting walks, issuing just 2.4 free passes per nine innings. He has had a bit of a home run problem this season, but with all his strengths, teams will overlook that as home run rate tends to fluctuate a bit year over year.
Everything about his arsenal is so advanced and polished. His fastball doesn’t have elite velocity, but it plays much better than the 92-94 MPH range it sits in. This is because it has excellent carry, spin and shape. It gets on hitters very quickly.
Anderson has a great feel for spin as well. Last year he threw a big curveball, which was a signature pitch for him. However, he doesn’t throw that as much because he developed a slider that is even better. He is already showing he has aptitude for a number of breaking ball shapes, something teams like. Despite relying more on that slider, he still has his big hook in his back pocket.
If that is not enough, he also has a changeup that gets plus grades. With that mix, you see the vision for four pitches that are at least above average. Also, with his aptitude and feel to spin he could add even more clubs to his bag.
If you want a guy who can move through the Minor Leagues quickly, Anderson is your guy. He is polished, productive and a whiff generator. There are more exciting upside plays in the draft, but Anderson is one of the safest guys on the board. With the Nationals needing rotation help quickly, you would have to think they are considering the LSU lefty.