Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson - SS

DOB: 06/23/1993

Height/Weight: 6’1” 185 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R/R

BP - 70 speed, 60 hit, 50+ glove



His quick wrists lead to plus bat speed, and while there is some length to his swing, his fluidity and coordination allow him to make hard contact to every part of the field. There’s also natural lift to his swing and though his size limits the power, he should put the ball into gaps with enough pop to keep pitchers honest. While he has the hit tool and speed for a potential leadoff hitter, he might not have the patience. He rarely walks, and there are contact issues here—particularly on breaking balls on the outer half of the plate—that could limit the on-base percentage. Anderson leverages his impressive speed well: bunting for hits and constantly applying pressure as an unrelenting stolen base threat.

Projections for his power continue to trend down, and right now 8-10 homers seems more likely than 20. Of course, with 40-plus steal potential and a strong hit tool, even the low end of that power will play very well in fantasy regardless of whether he maintains the SS next to his name.

Fangraphs - Hit: 50/55+/65 Power: 30/40/40+ Run: 60/65/75 Field: 45/50/55 Throw: 55/60/65

Anderson is an excellent all-around athlete, with quick-twitch actions on both sides of his game that teams dream of having in a middle infielder. His 2015 went a long way toward solidifying his status as a premium prospect, improving both his defense at shortstop and his strikeout avoidance. Though there are still questions about whether he remains at the position long-term, his offensive abilities will earn him a starting role wherever his defensive home ends up.

Watching him at the plate, his hands are the first thing that jump out. He has a real loose, athletic look to his upper body with a quick bat. Combined with great contact skills, Anderson has the ceiling of a plus or better hit tool, with a slight hedge due to his lack of walks. His hands often push out in front of his body before his hips can create enough force to tap into his raw power, though he projects to have at least league-average overall production at the plate.

His aggressive approach has worked so far, though his low walk rate and climbing strikeout rate may become issues against better pitching. Major-league hurlers will take advantage of his approach with tougher chase pitches until he shows improved selectivity. His swing and hand-eye coordination give him enough room for error that even a small improvement in approach will be enough to project as a starter.

The most impressive figure on his stat sheet this year was the 49 stolen bases. Anderson has always had the speed to be an imposing base-running threat, and this year he made big strides learning to take advantage of opposing batteries. He still has work to do for it to translate to the majors, but the big jump in effectiveness this year is a hugely positive sign he can be an impact when he comes up.

Defensively, the tools have never been in question, with great range, quick feet, and plus arm strength. While he remains slightly raw, most evaluators agree that he made huge gains this year on his footwork and positioning, drastically reducing the number of errors he committed. I see him sticking at the position with continued focus on improving his technique this year, though he may need 2016 and 2017 to be fully qualified as a trusted defender at short.

I feel more confident in Anderson developing into a shortstop, despite likely starting in Triple-A with a fair amount of work to do. Anderson gets some leeway on the finer points of his game for being a multi-sport athlete, a sentiment with which I strongly agree. He has shown the aptitude to carry his practice improvements into games, and the tools give him plenty of chances for development. He may end up earning a big-league roster spot before his defense and approach have been conquered, but Anderson has a very bright future.

MLB.com (47) - Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Anderson didn't play baseball until his junior year and went undrafted as a prep senior and junior college freshman. He burst onto the prospect scene in 2013, leading Division II juco players in batting (.495) and on-base percentage (.568), going 17th overall in the draft and signing for $2,164,000. He reached Double-A at the end of his first full pro season and thrived there in 2015, leading the Southern League in runs (79), hits (160) and steals (49).

Though the White Sox have moved him quickly and he's extremely aggressive at the plate, Anderson's ability to barrel balls has allowed him to hit .301 through his first three pro seasons. His plus-plus speed makes him a huge basestealing threat, but he won't be able to maximize it or hit near the top of a batting order unless he improves his pitch recognition and plate discipline. With his bat speed and wiry strength, he could produce 15 homers per season.

Scouts are split on whether Anderson can play shortstop in the big leagues. He has the necessary actions and enough arm strength, but his hands aren't especially soft and his footwork is erratic, leading to 78 errors in his first 255 pro games. His tools would profile well in center field if he can't cut it in the infield.

KLaw (45) - 

Anderson came to baseball a bit later than most players, so the fact that he already has had success at Double-A at the plate and on defense is a testament to his outsized athletic abilities. The question now is whether he's an 8- or 9-hole hitter or whether he can develop enough of an approach at the plate to hit near the top of the order instead.

Anderson is a plus-plus runner with good actions at short, much improved thanks to his work with Birmingham manager Ever Magallanes last year, and has the quick hands and bat speed to hit major league-caliber pitching. His approach is overly aggressive now and his recognition of balls and strikes remains poor, resulting in both a low walk rate and at-bats that often end too soon before he can get a pitch to drive.

The player he is now is still a big leaguer, a bottom-of-the-order bat who might hit .280 with a low OBP but play above-average defense at short and steal a bunch of bases. He has the potential to be so much more if he develops any sort of a plan at the plate, which would almost certainly mean another year in the minors to work on his approach.