Leslie Anderson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #28 prospect in 2011
  A career .320 hitter in Cuba's major league, Anderson played in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic. When Cuba's national team subsequently dropped him, he defected in 2009 and signed a four-year, $1.725 million contact with the Rays last April. He began his U.S. career in high Class A and reached Triple-A by the end of the season. He lived up to his reputation as a high-average hitter in his pro debut, batting a combined .302. He does a good job of squaring the ball on the barrel despite an unconventional setup and approach. He has good size and a smooth lefthanded swing, but he doesn't project to hit more than 15 homers annually at the major league level. While he makes contact, he doesn't draw many walks. Tampa Bay had Anderson split time between left field and first base in 2010, but he's shaky in the outfield and can't play there in the majors. His below-average speed and range aren't liabilities at first base, where he won the equivalent of a Gold Glove while in Cuba. He has a strong arm for the position. Anderson continued his development in the Arizona Fall League, where he won the Rising Stars Game with a ninth-inning homer. With Carlos Pena leaving as a free agent, Anderson could get a chance to make the Rays in spring training. If he doesn't, he'll return to Durham to start 2011.