Tim Anderson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	234
AVG	.214
OBP	.237
SLG	.226
HR	0

Full name Timothy Devon Anderson
Born 06/23/1993 in Tuscaloosa, AL
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School East Central CC
Debut 06/10/2016
Drafted in the 1st round (17th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2013 (signed for $2,164,000).

View Draft Report

It's a banner year for Mississippi junior colleges, and Anderson has a chance to become the highest-drafted such player in a June draft. A Tuscaloosa, Ala., native, Anderson missed much of his high school baseball career due to basketball, first because of knee injuries as a sophomore, then because of a state title run as a junior that overlapped much of baseball season. He focused on baseball in junior college and hit .328 with five home runs in the Jayhawk League last summer. He has followed up by showing solid power this spring to go with his other prodigious tools. Anderson stands out in a draft class light on middle infielders. Scouts aren't sold that he'll stick at shortstop thanks to average arm strength. He has middle-infield actions and needs repetition at the pro level to see where he'll stick. His athleticism and plus-plus speed would play in center field. Some scouts see power in Anderson's bat and consider him a potential Brandon Phillips, while others see him as a faster version of Orlando Hudson. Either way, Anderson will be the first or second middle infielder picked and won't be following through on his commitment to Alabama-Birmingham.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Anderson focused on basketball at Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa, Ala., serving as star senior point guard for the 2011 state champions. He did not play baseball until his junior year, so he generated no interest from Division I programs upon graduating from high school. In fact, East Central (Miss.) CC extended the only offer to Anderson, and he quickly made the Division II junior college program look smart. He hit .360 as a freshman and went 30-for-30 on stolen-base attempts, yet went unselected in the 2012 draft. He even hit .328 in the summer collegiate Jayhawk League, but still no major league team signed him as a nondrafted free agent. Anderson's exploits became impossible to ignore in 2013, when he hit .495 with 10 homers and 41 steals in 53 games at ECCC to play his way into the first round of the draft. The White Sox selected him 17th overall and signed him for $2.164 million, and he logged 68 games at low Class A Kannapolis in his pro debut. Promoted to high Class A Winston-Salem in 2014, Anderson hit .297 with 31 extra-base hits in 68 games before fracturing his right wrist. When he returned from the disabled list two months later, Chicago pushed him to Double-A Birmingham for 10 games. He returned to the Southern League in 2015 and ranked first on the circuit with 160 hits, 79 runs and 49 stolen bases while placing third with a .312 average and 12 triples. Thanks to quick-twitch actions and supreme athleticism, Anderson has made incremental improvement each season despite a rapid promotion schedule. He stayed healthy in 2015 and showcased impressive bat speed and swing mechanics that allow him to turn on any fastball, which combined with an all-fields hitting approach and tendency to hit groundballs and line drives makes him a threat to hit .300. Anderson will leg out his share of doubles and triples thanks to double-plus speed, but he probably won't hit more than 12-15 home runs based on his swing path. He showed more aggression and better instincts on the bases in 2015 and succeeded in 79 percent of his steal attempts. He likes to attack the first fastball he can handle, and few SL batters walked less frequently. Evaluators are warming to the idea that Anderson can play shortstop at the major league level. He improved his fielding percentage from .897 at Winston- Salem in 2014 to .952 at Birmingham in 2015 because he made fewer careless mistakes (though he led both leagues in errors by a shortstop). He makes his share of highlight-reel plays with above-average range and arm strength, but some evaluators ding him for not always playing the right hop and for not consistently converting throws from deep in the hole. The White Sox believe that Anderson can play at least an average major league shortstop with continued repetitions and with better positioning. He may not profile as a table-setter in the lineup unless he improves his on-base ability, but he will factor offensively with his speed and ability to impact the ball. Anderson is ready for Triple-A Charlotte in 2016, though if he plays well--and if free agent Alexei Ramirez departs, as expected-- the White Sox might not be able to resist calling him up during the season.
Any team could have signed Anderson in the summer of 2012, when the junior-college freshman went undrafted and ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Jayhawk League. Instead, he played his way into the 2013 first round with a fine sophomore season . Anderson's athleticism has allowed him to adjust to the speed of the pro game quickly. He's explosively quick and twitchy, with the burst and plus speed to steal bases and the strength to provide power to the gaps. He accepts instruction well and has the actions, above-average arm and range for shortstop, though his inexperience and rough footwork can lead to throwing errors. (His .897 fielding percentage was by far the worst in the Carolina League.) Some scouts see him as a better fit at second base or center field. Anderson has solid-average raw power and makes contact almost too readily, He'll tap into his power more with a more patient approach. He also tends to lose his timing at the plate, leaving his upper and lower halves out of sync and sapping his power. The White Sox rave about Anderson's aptitude and believe he can have a Brandon Phillips-type career, only at shortstop. With Alexei Ramirez signed for another year, Anderson will get another full minor league season, starting back at Double-A Birmingham.
A prep basketball point guard who led his team to an Alabama state championship, Anderson also played baseball but lost playing time to a knee injury and basketball. Undrafted out of high school, he went to East Central CC to focus on baseball and started to come on in the summer Jayhawk League in 2012. He steadily climbed draft boards all spring in 2013 before the White Sox drafted him 17th overall. A potential top-of-the-order shortstop, Anderson has explosive raw tools and is adding skills to match. He's a well above-average runner and accomplished basestealer with a tremendous first step. That plays well in the infield as well, and Anderson has made strides by better positioning himself and learning to anticipate balls off the bat. His average arm strength has improved a bit since signing and should be enough for shortstop if he stays on his throwing program. He has an easy swing with below-average power, showing enough juice to keep pitchers honest. His pitch recognition remains understandably modest, but scouts in and out of the organization laud his aptitude and calm, confident demeanor. The White Sox hope Anderson can be ready by the time Alexei Ramirez's contract expires after the 2015 season and will push him to high Class A Winston-Salem in 2014.

Draft Prospects

It's a banner year for Mississippi junior colleges, and Anderson has a chance to become the highest-drafted such player in a June draft. A Tuscaloosa, Ala., native, Anderson missed much of his high school baseball career due to basketball, first because of knee injuries as a sophomore, then because of a state title run as a junior that overlapped much of baseball season. He focused on baseball in junior college and hit .328 with five home runs in the Jayhawk League last summer. He has followed up by showing solid power this spring to go with his other prodigious tools. Anderson stands out in a draft class light on middle infielders. Scouts aren't sold that he'll stick at shortstop thanks to average arm strength. He has middle-infield actions and needs repetition at the pro level to see where he'll stick. His athleticism and plus-plus speed would play in center field. Some scouts see power in Anderson's bat and consider him a potential Brandon Phillips, while others see him as a faster version of Orlando Hudson. Either way, Anderson will be the first or second middle infielder picked and won't be following through on his commitment to Alabama-Birmingham.

Minor League Top Prospects

The No. 1 prospect in the White Sox system heading into the season, Anderson began the year at Charlotte for his first taste of Triple-A. He handled the level with aplomb, and Chicago called him up in early June. He immediately took over as everyday shortstop and didn't look back. Anderson's exceptional athleticism and well above-average speed make him an exciting player. His swing is geared to hit line drives and ground balls, allowing him to use his speed to leg out infield hits and get on base. While he won't hit many home runs because of his swing, he has good bat speed and pounds the ball into the gaps for extra-base hits.An aggressive hitter, Anderson rarely walks and has struggled against advanced breaking balls. Anderson is a solid defender at shortstop who continues to improve his efficiency. He shows plenty of range and good hands. His arm strength has improved, giving him the tools to be an everyday shortstop.
Anderson continues to improve incrementally with each season since he turned pro as the 17th overall pick in 2013. The White Sox have moved him up the ladder briskly, but Anderson met the challenge at Birmingham in 2015 by leading the SL with 160 hits, 79 runs and 49 stolen bases while placing third with a .312 average and 12 triples. The first things evaluators note about Anderson are his explosive athleticism and double-plus speed that will make him an annual threat to steal 40 bases. He has one of the quickest swings in the SL and is capable of catching up to any fastball, making him a perennial candidate to hit .300, especially because he does a good job keeping the ball on the ground, going with the pitch and using his speed. Anderson likes to attack early-count heat, doesn't always recognize breaking-ball spin and seldom works deep counts, so that could limit his ability to reach his offensive ceiling as a top-of-the-order batter with below-average power. SL sources disagreed about Anderson's future position. Some believe his explosive actions, plus range and solid arm will allow him to stay at shortstop (with continued work and repetitions). Others didn't care for Anderson's spotty fundamentals--he led SL shortstops with 25 errors--and question his arm strength from the hole, viewing him more as a second baseman or center fielder.
Despite missing almost two months with a fractured right wrist after being hit by a pitch at Winston-Salem, Anderson closed the season on a tear at Double-A Birmingham. Winston-Salem manager Tommy Thompson called Anderson "an unbelievable leader on and off the field who has great baseball instincts. He's a very raw player, but he's also a student of the game." The 17th overall pick in 2013, Anderson has struck out 160 times and drawn just 32 walks in 614 professional at-bats. His skill set, which includes developing power, means his best spot in a major league lineup remains an uncertainty. "He's a one- or two-hole hitter with power who can run," Potomac manager Tripp Keister said. Anderson is a plus runner but doesn't attempt many steals, and he has electric bat speed but doesn't exercise plate discipline. In the field, he commits careless errors (.911 fielding percentage in 2014) but has the raw ingredients to play shortstop, including an above-average arm.

Top 100 Rankings

Career Transactions

Miami Marlins released SS Tim Anderson.
Miami Marlins designated SS Tim Anderson for assignment.
Miami Marlins activated SS Tim Anderson from the bereavement list.
Miami Marlins placed SS Tim Anderson on the bereavement list.
Miami Marlins activated SS Tim Anderson from the 10-day injured list.
Miami Marlins sent SS Tim Anderson on a rehab assignment to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Miami Marlins placed SS Tim Anderson on the 10-day injured list retroactive to May 11, 2024. Lower back tightness.
Miami Marlins signed free agent SS Tim Anderson.
Chicago White Sox activated SS Tim Anderson from the 10-day injured list.
Chicago White Sox sent SS Tim Anderson on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Knights.
Chicago White Sox sent SS Tim Anderson on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Knights.
Chicago White Sox placed SS Tim Anderson on the 10-day injured list. Left knee sprain.
United States activated SS Tim Anderson.