What To Expect: Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson has been on a steady rise through the minor leagues since the White Sox drafted him No. 17 overall in 2013.
On Friday, that rise culminated in a major league callup.
The White Sox purchased Anderson’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte nearly three years to the day after drafting him. They designated veteran Jimmy Rollins for assignment to make room for the prized young infielder, No. 45 on our Top 100 Prospects.
Anderson, a 22-year old shortstop, hit .304 in 55 games with Charlotte this season. It’s an average on par with what he’s done his whole career, registering a .301 average across nearly 1,500 professional at-bats.
SCOUTING REPORT
Anderson didn’t play baseball until his junior year at Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa, Ala., instead focusing on basketball as his primary sport and starting at point guard on the 2011 state championship team. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, he was too small to gain significant college basketball interest and didn’t have any Division I baseball offers because he didn’t start playing until so late in his high school career. The athleticism he showed on the court allowed him to flourish on the diamond at junior college program East Central (Miss.) CC, where he hit .360 as a freshman and .495 as a sophomore with a combined 71 steals in his two seasons there. He’s kept that superb contact ability and athleticism throughout the minors since being drafted, hitting above .300 each of the past three seasons and averaging 21 steals per year. His athleticism and quick-twitch skills actions made him an above-average shortstop defensively, but it’s at the plate and on the basepaths where Anderson really shines.
WHAT TO EXPECT
If nothing else, Anderson should at least inject some speed and energy into a White Sox lineup that ranks 11th in the American League with just 25 stolen bases. While there is always an adjustment period any time a prospect moves up to the majors, it actually isn’t unreasonable to expect Anderson to outperform the .242/.313/.378 slash line produced by White Sox shortstops offensively this season. He should receive a chance to start immediately, and his prior track record of hitting and speed makes it reasonable to think he can produce a .265 average and .325 on-base percentage or so quickly, which alone would be a tremendous upgrade for the White Sox in the middle of the diamond. Eventually, Anderson should grow to become a perennial threat to hit .300 with 20-plus steals and serve as the White Sox franchise shortstop.
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