Brett Anderson Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1140
ERA	4.074
WHIP	1.334
BB/9	2.4
SO/9	6.095

Full name Brett Franklin Anderson
Born 02/01/1988 in Midland, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Stillwater
Debut 04/10/2009
Drafted in the 2nd round (55th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006 (signed for $950,000).

View Draft Report

Anderson's package doesn't quite fit together. He's arguably the most polished pitcher with quality stuff in the draft, no surprise considering his father Frank had long been one of college baseball's most respected pitching coaches before becoming the head coach at Oklahoma State. Brett locates an 89-91 mph fastball at will, and at times it ranks as his third-best pitch. He has a hard, 78-83 mph curveball that's a strikeout pitch and an advanced changeup for a teenager. He also has a slower, get-me-over version of his curve. He repeats his delivery and arm slot every time. Anderson has excelled on the international stage, pitching Team USA's youth and junior teams to silver medals the last two summers. So what's not to like? Scouts say it's Anderson's glaring lack of athleticism. He has a soft, 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, and he has trouble fielding bunts and covering first base. Some scouts say he has the best command of any high school lefty in recent memory, while others say he may be the worst athlete taken in the first round in years. Nevertheless, he almost certainly will go in the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The exceedingly polished Anderson has had a head start in his development since childhood. He's the son of Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson, one of college baseball's top pitching coaches before taking over the Cowboys. Brett's feel for his craft has been evident since his amateur days, as he led Team USA's youth and junior teams to silver medals in consecutive summers. He had the stuff to go in the first round of the 2006 draft, but his $1 million asking price dropped him to the Diamondbacks in the second round. He signed late for $950,000, turning down the chance to pitch for his father. Anderson quickly established himself as a premier pitching prospect in 2007, though he and six teammates were involved in a car accident that July, with Anderson sustaining a concussion that effectively ended his season. He and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez were the headline prospects in a six-player package Arizona sent to the Athletics for Dan Haren in December 2007. In his first season in the A's system, Anderson advanced to Double-A Midland and pitched for the U.S. Olympic team. He defeated Japan in the bronze-medal game, allowing four runs in seven innings. After he returned from Beijing, he joined Triple-A Sacramento for the Pacific Coast League playoffs, earning wins in both his starts (including the championship clincher) as well as a save. Anderson has premium command, averaging 1.9 walks per nine innings in his pro career and frequently locating his fastball on the corners of the plate. He's more proficient working his fastball to his glove side than his arm side. His two-seam fastball sits at 88-92 mph and generates a lot of groundouts. He also can touch 94 mph with his four-seamer. Anderson has above-average secondary pitches across the board, including a mid- to high-70s curveball with two-plane break. His low- to mid-80s slider gives him a second quality breaking ball, and his changeup is often a plus pitch. He used his changeup more frequently once he reached Double-A. Anderson is mechanically solid and repeats his delivery well. He improved his pickoff move after working with fellow lefty Greg Smith, another part of the Haren trade. The biggest knock on Anderson always has been his lack of athleticism. He got into better shape for the 2008 season, but while he fields his position well if grounders are hit in his vicinity, he's not quick to first base when he needs to cover the bag. He doesn't have overpowering velocity, but he has more than enough zip on his fastball considering his command and deep arsenal. Anderson and Trevor Cahill teamed up at high Class A Stockton, Midland and the Olympics in 2008. There's debate among scouts about who's the better prospect, with Anderson getting the edge here because he has superior command and a wider array of plus pitches. Both should begin 2009 in Triple-A, with a chance to reach the big leagues by mid-2009. They're the future anchors of Oakland's rotation.
Anderson's 2.21 ERA would have led the Midwest League had he stuck around long enough to qualify, but he earned a promotion to high Class A Visalia in June. His season effectively ended at the end of July when he and six teammates were in a car accident. Anderson pitched four more innings after sustaining a concussion. You can never say stuff doesn't matter, but with Anderson it's not the most important thing. The son of Oklahoma State coach Frank Anderson, a noted mentor of pitchers, Brett has smooth mechanics and always pitches with a plan. He throws two breaking balls for strikes, and both can be plus pitches, as can his changeup. His fastball usually sits at 90 mph, but his command of it is impeccable. He played some center field in high school, so Anderson has some athleticism. But he has not maintained his conditioning. His body has gotten soft and he doesn't move well around the mound. Anderson has rare command and polish for a pitcher his age, so he could move quickly. He'll get a chance to earn a spot in the Double-A rotation in spring training and profiles as a middle-of-the-rotation innings-eater.
Anderson was regarded as a likely first-round pick going into the 2006 draft, but questions about his athleticism caused him to slide to the second round, where the Diamondbacks were happy to grab him. He signed for $950,000, too late to play during the summer, but stood out in instructional league in the fall. He's the son of Frank Anderson, long one of the most respected pitching coaches in college baseball before he became Oklahoma State's head coach. That's a big reason why he's so polished, with what scouts called the best command of any high school lefty in recent memory. His development is far ahead that of most teenagers, and he has smooth, repeatable mechanics. He throws a fastball that touches 90 mph but usually sits in the high 80s, and he has a good feel for his plus changeup. He throws two breaking balls--a hard slider and a slow curveball--and the Diamondbacks will let him take both into his first season to see which works better. He has a good feel for pitching and competes hard. The biggest knock against Anderson is his soft body and lack of athleticism and agility. He had trouble fielding bunts and covering first base at times in high school. The Diamondbacks will work to improve that, but Anderson is just fine over the rubber and manipulates the baseball as well as any teenager. He'll open his first pro season at low Class A South Bend.

Minor League Top Prospects

Anderson was a key piece in the Dan Haren trade with the Diamondbacks last winter, and he and Cahill showed in Stockton, Midland and Beijing why they'll soon team up in the A's rotation. Anderson won the bronze-medal game against Japan. Some Cal League observers preferred Anderson to Cahill because he's lefthanded, though the consensus was that Cahill has a better chance to become a frontline starter. Anderson could as well, as his feel for pitching and strong command amplify his pure stuff. Anderson's fastball sat at 92-93 mph this season and he touched 95. He throws two breaking balls, using his slider more often than his curveball, and a changeup. All three of his secondary offerings rate as plus pitches at times, and he controls the running game featuring a top-shelf pickoff move.
Anderson can't match Kershaw's pure stuff, but he has a deeper repertoire and a better feel for pitching. He uses an 89-92 mph fastball with tailing action to set up a curveball he can locate with precision and a changeup that ranked as the league's best. He also can mix in a hard slider when he wants. "He reminds me of Kenny Rogers in the sense that he plays catch with the mitt," Beloit manager Jeff Smith said. "He has three pitches he can throw for strikes at any time." He relies on his curveball too much at times, but the only real knock on Anderson is that he hasn't taken conditioning seriously. He has a soft body and sometimes has trouble getting off the mound. If he gets in better shape, he could find more velocity for his fastball.