White Sox’s Tim Anderson Pushing for Future Starting SS Role
If you’ve lost track of who the best infield prospect in the Chicago White Sox’s farm system is, don’t worry. There’s been a lot of movement already this season, especially at second base, where Carlos Sanchez was recently promoted and Micah Johnson demoted. Johnson’s defensive woes and base running miscues, along with Sanchez’s torrid .344 average, .368 on base percentage and .466 slugging percentage prompted the Sox to make the switch. Sanchez’s defensive aptitude, poise and newfound maturity may mean he’s ready to stake a permanent claim on the job.
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A third prospect, however, likely has the highest ceiling. Tim Anderson—the Sox’s highest rated position player according to MLB.com—the team’s first round pick in the 2013 draft, is more than earning his keep in Double-A. Entering play Wednesday, the shortstop was hitting .304/.322/.417 with 15 stolen bases. Among his exploits are hitting for the cycle and swiping two bags in a matter of pitches:
A deeper look at some numbers shows his production is sustainable; his batting average on balls in play entering Wednesday (.388) is similar to what it was in 68 games in 2013 (.384) and in 84 games through three levels in 2014 (.372); and his 15 steals are second in the Southern League and he is on pace to blow away his previous high of 24 from 2013.
His offensive output isn’t what’s most important, though. Nobody thinks his bat will be the tool that keeps him out of the majors. It’s his glove that’s the biggest concern, which is also where Anderson is taking his biggest strides: In 2014, he made 34 errors in 82 games, which is so poor it would look bad even on the Cleveland Indians defense. Such hard-handedness led to rumors he would be moved to the centerfield.
Entering play Wednesday, he had committed six errors in 38 games. By comparison, that means he is on pace for 13 errors over 82 games, nearly of third of last season’s total. The White Sox should be thrilled with this improvement, although they shouldn’t necessarily be surprised: Anderson was a star point guard on a state-championship basketball team in high school, so it was only a matter of time before his great athleticism manifested in his defensive play.
If Anderson continues to upgrade his defensive tools and produce offensively, it increases the possibility he appears in the majors in the near future. This is where the middle infield gets crowded and an array of possibilities arises. Some things to keep in mind:
- Current White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez will be a free agent after this season if the Sox chose to buy out his team option for 2016.
- In addition to Ramirez, this offseason’s free agent class possibly will include Asdrubal Cabrera, Ian Desmond and Alcides Escobar, among others.
- White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham is also an impending free agent.
- Centerfielder Adam Eaton won’t be a free agent until 2020, so if Anderson or Johnson is moved to center field they would need to surpass his offensive production and be an adequate replacement defensively.
The Sox have a lot of potential and not a lot of places to put it. One possibility is to exercise Ramirez’s ’16 option, have Anderson play this season and most of next season in the minors so he can assume the starting shortstop role in 2017, when the Sanchez/Johnson tug-of-war will hopefully be fully resolved.
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Another is to let Ramirez walk, sign a free agent shortstop and let the three prospects battle for the second- and third-base jobs—this is unlikely to happen.
Still another is to let Ramirez walk and give Anderson, Johnson and Sanchez the starting roles at second, third and short, with either Anderson or Sanchez assuming the third base role and the other taking shortstop. Granted, this one is extremely unlikely to happen because 3/4 of the infield would have less than two years experience in the majors and it would force at least one player out of his natural position.
A lot of talent is not a terrible problem to have, and much of this depends on how competitive the Sox are the rest of the season in a stout American League Central: The Twins are surprising people and the Royals are even better than they were last season. If the team is ripe enough to contend this season and the next, the Sox may be more inclined to keep the veteran Ramirez around, unless his offensive production dips significantly.
Regardless, keep an eye on Tim Anderson. It looks like he’s about to distance himself from the crowd.
All stats according to MiLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com