2016 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile: Tim Anderson

WHITE SOX CONTINUE TO MAKE MOVES

Tim Anderson, my shortstop in AL LABR, is finally getting the call up to the big leagues today (Howard Bender and I shared a tender moment in the preseason as we are both big fans of Anderson).

First it was the Sox trading for James Shields.

Then it was adding Justin Morneau for the second half.

Then the team designated for assignment Mat Latos.

Friday it was a move that was a long time coming. Jimmy Rollins, who had been performing terribly, was designated for assignment. Rollins, a 37 year old who has had an impressive career, has stopped hitting. Over his last 185 games Jimmy has hit .224 with a .287 OBP and .282 wOBA. He still had 15 homers and 17 steals offering a flash here and there of his former self, but it was time for him to at least be bench bat if not outright let go like the Sox eventually decided to do. At the same time the Sox have called up Anderson ostensibly to be the starting shortstop with Tyler Saladino remaining in a reserve role.

THE NUMBERS

A first round selection in 2013, Anderson was ranked as a top-50 prospect heading into the 2016 season: Baseball America (45^th), Baseball Prospectus (19^th) and MLB.com (47^th).

THE SKILLS

The shortstop prospect hit .312 last season with 49 steals in 125 games at Double-A. Pushed up to Triple-A this season Anderson started slowly, but boy has he come on strongly the last month plus. Over his last 37 games, since the start of May, Anderson has hit .337 with four homers, seven doubles, two triples and seven steals. That effort brings his season long work at Triple-A, in 55 games, to .304/.325/.409 with 39 runs and 11 steals. Anderson has also done a much better job of cleaning up his game. As Dan Hayes noted, Anderson had a K-rate of 28.1 percent his first 103 plate appearances while over his last 153 plate appearances the number is way down to 18.8 percent.

A dynamic athlete, Anderson can do anything he wants on the field. He has tremendous bat speed. He can handle a fastball at any point of the strike zone due to that athleticism as he can get to about any pitch. Anderson can also spray the ball all over the field, and unlike many young players he seems to have a really good idea of what he is doing at the dish. Understanding he’s not a big power bat, Anderson raps out liners and ground balls with ease. Anderson has the bat two be in the 10 homer range, but he’s simply not shown the ability to drive the ball deep to this point of his career. He may never develop much beyond that, maybe 15 homer upside, but that’s not his game anyway. Anderson can really barrel the ball well though, and with his improving pitch recognition there’s a chance he could be a force in the batting average category as well.

Anderson has elite speed which allows him to put severe pressure on a defense. He was more aggressive on the base paths last season as well as evidenced by his total of 49 thefts in just 125 games. This is the talent that is most exciting in the fantasy game – the wheels. The guy will run when he gets on base, possesses dynamic speed, and given his position of shortstop that makes him a potential impact fantasy performer.

PLAYING TIME

Anderson has to be promoted to become the starter at short in Chicago, a thought echoed by Scott Merkin who follows the club for MLB.com. Here are a couple of his early thoughts.

“I would imagine Anderson becomes the everyday shortstop, although Tyler Saladino will get significant playing time.”

“But Anderson is not coming here to be a reserve, much like Gordon Beckham at third in 2009.”

The only way Anderson’s call up makes sense is that he will be playing daily. Expect that to happen, though it’s possible he could hit at the bottom of the order which would ding his outlook a bit (this seems probably both because of the desire to lessen the pressure on the 22 year old (he will be 23 later this month), but also because he’s never been a massive on base percentage type of performer). His defense is spotty, some doubt whether or not he can be a daily shortstop in the big leagues, but he’s working diligently to improve that part of his game. Saladino should continue to be used in a reserve role and see enough playing time to be an AL-only option.

CONCLUSION

While everyone has spent all season worrying about when Trea Turner will take over in Washington, it’s Anderson who will get the first shot to play every day. A similarly skilled offensive performer, Anderson is an intriguing add in virtually all leagues.

10-team: Given his lack of power, and the fact that many youngsters struggle to produce consistent at-bats, Anderson is a luxury in this format. By that I mean he’s certainly not a top-10 option at shortstop at the moment. In fact, placing him inside the top-20 is aggressive as well. That means Anderson is a middle infield play for clubs that are seeking steals though you should note that his homer and RBI totals, at the very least, figure to lag behind in this setup.

12-team: A potential Jose Ramirez/Elvis Andrus type of performer, if that excites you then Anderson is worth an add here. Someone in this setup has to add Anderson, but I would prefer that someone to be a person that keeps the expectations reasonable. The expectation should be set that Anderson is a potential middle infield option who will steal bases. It’s EXTREMELY unlikely that he will pull a Francisco Lindor so don’t do that to yourself and expect that. Controlled aggression with the FAAB bidding and waiver-wire hunting.

15-team: A “must add” in this format, Anderson’s wheels alone are worthy of serious bidding. Toss in his athleticism and talent at the dish, and the bat should put him in the same realm as guys like Chris Owings, Ketel Marte and Alcides Escobar. There is little reason for you to hold back in the free agent market if you need help up the middle. You can wait for Turner, Orlando Arcia or J.P. Crawford if you want, but Anderson is here right now.

AL-only: If he’s on waivers in this league you and your league mates failed. Anderson should have been drafted and stashed. With his wheels in this format he’s an impact addition to any squad. If he is available, be extremely aggressive with your budget. 

* TO SEE WHERE ANDERSON RANKS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON, MOVE ON OVER TO THE RANKINGS PAGE THAT HAS BEEN UPDATED.

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Friday, 7 PM EDT and Friday on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 6 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).