As part of Perfect Game's recurring 'Before They Were Pros' series David Rawnsley will take a look at some of the top prospects in minor league baseball and their impact on the sport prior to their professional careers. This will be done in a six-part series, one feature for each division in Major League Baseball while identifying one of the top prospects for each team. Links are provided below to past installments of the 'Before They Were Pros' series for other reports on prospects, both past and present.


Chicago White Sox

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Erik Johnson, Courtney Hawkins, Tyler Danish
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Chris Beck, Micah Johnson, Jacob May

Tim Anderson, SS

Alabama and Mississippi area scouts can talk and wring their hands behind backstops for as long as they want, but the fact remains that Anderson was eligible for two drafts, first as a senior at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and then as a freshman at East Central Community College in Mississippi, and was not drafted.

Not being drafted out of high school wasn't a big surprise.  Anderson didn't even start playing baseball until he was a junior and starred on the basketball court instead, leading Hillcrest to a 32-3 record and the 2011 Alabama State 6A title.  He received only one scholarship offer in baseball, to East Central.

Committed full-time to baseball for the first time as a freshman, Anderson hit .340-4-37 and was a perfect 30-for-30 on stolen bases.  He spent the summer in the Jayhawk League and was named that collegiate league's second best prospect by Perfect Game.  Here is Allan Simpson's report on Anderson from that summer:

Virtual unknown entering Jayhawk season, opened plenty of eyes with range of projectable tools; serious juice in bat (.360-4-37 as JC FR, .352-8-39 for A’s), superior speed on bases (30-of-30 SB in JC, 31 SB on summer); capable of playing SS with plus range/hands/arm strength, but prone to making errors, may settle into CF, where speed a significant asset; still figuring it out in all phases, just needs to play.

By mid-way through the next spring, though, scouts had found Anderson and his 70 grade speed and dynamic athletic ability.  Anderson hit .495 with 10 home runs and 41 stolen bases and his stock rose weekly as more and more cross checkers saw him play.  There was discussion about whether Anderson, who was understandably raw defensively at shortstop, could stay there or eventually move to centerfield, but that talk didn't seem to hurt his overall evaluation at all.

Anderson had signed with Alabama Birmingham but the White Sox drafted him with the 17th overall pick and signed him quickly for a $2,165,000 bonus.


Cleveland Indians

Before They Were Pros, 2013-14 – Francisco Lindor
Before They Were Pros, 2014-15 – Clint Frazier, Tyler Naquin, Mitch Brown

Bobby Bradley, 1B

Bradley was a third baseman and catcher in high school down in Gulfport, Miss.  While he had a loose arm action and a strong arm, measuring 89 mph across the diamond at the 2013 Perfect Game National Showcase, it was considered a stretch for him to be able to continue at third base in the long term and he did occasionally play first base even in high school.  His big body – he was listed at 6-foot-2, 220-pounds as a high school junior – and relative lack of agility made that stand out.

Bobby Bradley

Chase Vallot