- SS Tim Anderson
- LHP Carlos Rodon
- RHP Tyler Danish
- RHP Spencer Adams
- RHP Francellis Montas
- RHP Chris Beck
- OF Courtney Hawkins
- 2B Carlos Sanchez
- 2B Micah Johnson
- OF Jacob May
1. Tim Anderson
Position: SS
DOB: 06/23/1993
Height/Weight: 6’1” 180 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2013 draft, East Central Community College (Decatur, MS)
Previous Ranking: #2 (Org), Just Missed The Cut (Top 101)
2014 Stats: .297/.323/.472 at High-A Winston-Salem (68 games), .364/.364/.500 at Double-A Birmingham (10 games)
The Tools: 7 run; 6 potential hit; 5+ potential power; 5+ potential glove; 5 arm
What Happened in 2014: Anderson more than held his own during an assignment in High-A before a fractured wrist ate into the second half of his season, but the shortstop didn’t miss a beat in a brief taste of Double-A after returning and continued to rip in the Arizona Fall League.
Strengths: Impact athlete; oozes fluidity; easy stroke with natural lift; loose and explosive hands; well above-average bat speed; barrels fastballs well; turns around velocity with ease; contact is loud; thunder in the stick; shows pull-side power potential; double-plus run; puts it in an extra gear quickly; soft hands; good footwork; quick transfers when throwing.
Weaknesses: Raw overall game; plays on ability over polish; questions on instincts at short; doesn’t get the best of reads off the bat; range plays down; arm comes up a bit short on left side when making long throws; may ultimately end up at second base or in outfield; approach and plate discipline are unrefined; can struggle handling secondary stuff; gets out on front foot often; still learning how to cover all four quadrants of zone with swing.
Overall Future Potential: High 6; first-division player/occasional all star
Realistic Role: 5; average major leaguer
Risk Factor/Injury History: High; limited upper-level experience; wrist fracture (2014); refinement of strike-zone management.
Bret Sayre’s Fantasy Take: There’s so much fantasy potential in Anderson’s game here as a five-category threat who could steal north of 30 bases at the major-league level. He’s going to be slightly more attractive in AVG leagues than OBPor points formats, but Anderson is a potential first-round fantasy pick, even if he doesn’t stick at shortstop (or the infield, for that matter).
The Year Ahead: Anderson is a true five-tool talent who can be absolutely electric on the diamond when everything is flowing in unison. The athleticism is the fast-twitch type that fuels explosiveness with all of his actions, while the stroke shows a high level of ease and control due to the strength of his wrists and forearms. It’s easy to fall in love with the 21-year-old when watching him on the field and a strong showing in 2014 has continued to reinforce that the initial refinement of his overall game has begun to take. The future has the potential to be very bright, with all-star caliber seasons not out of the question, though there’s still a high level of rawness in the player’s game, especially when it comes to the defense and strike-zone management skills. Opinions are mixed as to whether Anderson can stick on the left side of the infield, with his arm and fringy instincts drawing the most concerns from sources. Given the athleticism, the Alabama native could keep his value as an up-the-middle defender with a move out to center field or transition well to second base where the arm is a better fit. It’s ultimately going to come down to the refinement of the aforementioned offensive secondary skills to reach the peak potential. They’ll be tested heavily in an assignment in the Southern League this season, with the belief here that the prospect can make the necessary adjustments and prove he’s trending towards rounding into a future impact major leaguer.
Major league ETA: 2016
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