20th Overall: Rockies Select LHP Tyler Anderson

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photo: Stephen Slade

The Colorado Rockies selected Tyler Anderson with the 20th pick in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The 21 year-old, left-handed pitcher attended the University of Oregon. Anderson stands 6’4″ tall and weighs 215 pounds. He was slotted as the 23rd overall pick by Wally Fish in the S2S Mock Draft.

Repertoire:

Already boasting two plus pitches, Anderson is highly regarded as a polished pitcher. Scouting reports rave about his confidence in his fastball and put-away change-up. His fastball sits between 88 and 93 MPH and features decent movement. Anderson is comfortable throwing his low-80s change-up in any count. Rounding out his arsenal is a fringy low-80s slider and a curveball that needs work.

Numbers:

This year Anderson went 8-3, with a 2.71 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched. Anderson holds three major Ducks records including 285 career strikeouts, 114 strikeouts in a single season and 14 strikeouts in a single game.

What They Say:

Baseball America

I’ve held the opinion all spring that Tyler Anderson’s overall package wasn’t that far off from southpaws ranked ahead of him, like Hultzen and Bradley. Anderson has the polish and makeup that will allow him to move quickly through the minor leagues.

ESPNs Keith Law

[Anderson] showed only average stuff that didn’t match his stat line or even produce many swings and misses.

John Sickels / MinorLeagueBall.com

Anderson’s already a polished pitcher with a low-90s fastball and a robust secondary arsenal – slider, curve, change-up – that he wields with sharp control. Nobody’s expecting an ace, but if he’s healthy projects as a solid No. 3 in the major leagues.

Future:

It seems reasonable to project Anderson as a quality mid-to-back-of rotation starter. While some question the pick, I’m actually a fan of Anderson at 20th overall. The southpaw throws strikes, misses bats and shouldn’t require much time in the minors. He should easily reach his projection and should be a solid, reliable pitcher in the big leagues.

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