Ian Anderson (baseball)

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Ian Anderson
Anderson with the Atlanta Braves in 2020
Atlanta Braves – No. 48
Pitcher
Born: (1998-05-02) May 2, 1998 (age 25)
Rexford, New York, U.S.
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
August 26, 2020, for the Atlanta Braves
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Win–loss record22–13
Earned run average3.97
Strikeouts262
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  United States
U-18 Baseball World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2015 Osaka Team

Ian Theodore Anderson (born May 2, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Anderson was selected out of high school by the Braves with the third overall pick of the 2016 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 2020. Anderson won a World Series ring in 2021 as a member of the Atlanta Braves.

Amateur baseball[edit]

Anderson played in the 2013 14-and-under Babe Ruth League World Series in Moses Lake, Washington, with his team from Clifton Park, New York.[1] Anderson's team finished third,[2] and he was named to the all-defensive team as a pitcher.[3] The squad was managed by Tom Huerter,[4][5] father of teammate and future NBA player Kevin Huerter.[6][7]

Anderson attended Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York.[8] As a junior, he was 6–1 with a 0.66 earned run average (ERA) and 91 strikeouts.[9] In August 2015, he played in Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park.[10] That same summer, he played for the 18U National Team that won the World Cup.[11][12][13] In 2016, he helped lead Shenendehowa to a Class AA state championship.[14][15]

Anderson graduated from Shenendehowa in 2016.[16] He committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt.[17]

Professional career[edit]

Minor leagues[edit]

Anderson was considered one of the top prospects in the 2016 MLB draft.[18][19] To induce Anderson to forgo college baseball,[20] the Atlanta Braves selected him with the third overall pick in the 2016 draft and signed him for $4 million.[18][19]

Anderson made his professional debut with the GCL Braves and was promoted to the Danville Braves on August 6, 2016.[21] He finished the 2016 season with a combined 1–2 record and 2.04 ERA in ten starts between both teams. In 2017, he played with the Rome Braves where he went 4–5 with a 3.14 ERA in 20 starts.[22] He began 2018 with the Florida Fire Frogs[23] and was promoted to the Mississippi Braves on August 8.[24] In 24 starts between the two clubs, he was 4–7 with a 2.49 ERA.[25]

Anderson was invited to spring training before the 2019 season began, and returned to Mississippi to start the year.[26][27] At midseason, he was selected as a Southern League All-Star, then subsequently named to the 2019 All-Star Futures Game.[28][29][30][31] On August 5, Anderson was promoted to the Gwinnett Stripers, and made his International League debut the next day.[32][33] At the end of the season, Anderson won the Braves' organizational pitcher of the year award.[34]

Atlanta Braves[edit]

Anderson was invited to spring training in 2020.[35] Following the cancellation of the 2020 Minor League Baseball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlanta Braves placed Anderson on its initial list of up to 60 players eligible to play for the team during the shortened Major League Baseball season.[36][37][38] On August 26, 2020, Anderson was promoted to the major leagues for the first time, and his contract was selected to the active roster.[39][40] He debuted in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, going through the first 5+1⁄3 innings without yielding a hit.[41] Anderson completed six innings, giving up one earned run on a home run by Luke Voit.[42]

Anderson finished the 2020 season with a 3–2 record over 6 games started and 321⁄3 innings, posting a 1.95 ERA with 41 strikeouts, while giving up just 21 hits.[43] He was fifth in the NL with 4 wild pitches.[44] He relied mostly on his 95 mph fourseam fastball, 88 mph changeup, and 80 mph curveball, and only rarely threw a 92 mph sinker.[45] Anderson received a single vote in National League Rookie of the Year voting, tying him for seventh place with Andrés Giménez and Sixto Sánchez.[46]

On October 1, 2020, making his first postseason appearance, Anderson earned the win against the Cincinnati Reds, clinching the Wild Card Series for the Braves. He became the youngest pitcher in MLB postseason history to allow fewer than three hits while striking out nine while pitching at least six innings.[47] In the NLDS game on October 7, Anderson threw 5.2 innings and got 9 strikeouts as the Braves beat the Miami Marlins 2–0.[48]

In 2021, Anderson was 9–5 with a 3.58 ERA in 24 starts.[44] He won a World Series ring as a member of the 2021 Atlanta Braves.[49] Anderson became the 2nd person in World Series history to leave a game after throwing five no-hit innings, accomplished during the 2021 World Series, in Game 3, striking out four Houston Astros batters and earning the win in the Braves' 2–0 victory.[50][51] That year, he finished fifth in the 2021 Rookie of the Year voting.[52]

Anderson struggled throughout the 2022 season, starting 21 games, and pitching to a 9–6 record, alongside a 5.11 ERA, until he was demoted to the Gwinnett Stripers on August 7.[53] He issued an MLB-leading 53 walks up to that point in the season.[54]

In 2023, after impressive spring training performances from Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd, Anderson was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett to begin the regular season.[55] On April 11, 2023, it was announced that Anderson would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2023 season.[56][52]

Anderson was optioned to Gwinnett to begin the 2024 season as he continued his recovery from surgery.[57]

Scouting report[edit]

As a prospect, Anderson's pitches included a mid-90s 4-seam and 2-seam fastball,[10] plus curveball, and developing changeup.[58] Anderson throws a 12–6 curveball with a low spin rate.[59] In the minors, Anderson used his curveball more frequently against right-handed batters.[60] By the time he reached the major leagues, Anderson's changeup had improved markedly.[59][61][62][63] His arm angle has stood out to teammates, as it is higher than that of most pitchers.[64]

Personal life[edit]

Ian Anderson's identical twin brother,[65][66][67] Ben Anderson, also played baseball for Shenendehowa and was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 26th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.[68] Ben opted to attend Binghamton University, where he played baseball for three seasons before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 13th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[69][70] Anderson also has a younger brother named Isaac.[71]

His father, Bob Anderson, played college baseball at Siena[71] and won multiple New York State championships as a coach at Schalmont High School.[72][73]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hudy, Stan (August 17, 2013). "Clifton Park heads west for World Series return". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  2. ^ Hudy, Stan (August 23, 2013). "Clifton Park Knights Babe Ruth team falls to Tualatin Hills in national semifinal 7-3". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Rawlings 2013 All-Defensive Teams" (PDF). BabeRuthLeague.org. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  4. ^ Hudy, Stan (July 30, 2013). "Babe Ruth: Trio of pitchers lifts Clifton Park Knights 14-year-old squad to victory". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  5. ^ Hudy, Stan (August 17, 2013). "Babe Ruth World Series: Anderson leads Clifton Park Knights over Bryant, Ark. 10-1 in opening round". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  6. ^ Hudy, Stan (August 4, 2013). "Rain doesn't delay Clifton Park Knights 9-0 win over Piedmont at Mid-Atlantic Regional". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Hudy, Stan (August 25, 2020). "Shen grad Ian Anderson's MLB pitching debut postponed by rain". Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  8. ^ Kelly, Michael (April 30, 2016). "At last, Shen's Anderson makes climb to mound". The Schenectady Gazette.
  9. ^ "Braves select pitcher Ian Anderson with third overall pick in the draft". WRDW.com. June 9, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Eberle, DJ (August 17, 2015). "Shen's Ian Anderson dazzles in Perfect Game All-American Classic". Troy Record. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  11. ^ Allen, James (September 10, 2015). "Shen's Ian Anderson helps U.S. win gold at 2015 Baseball World Cup". Times Union.
  12. ^ "News". Saratogian.com. August 24, 2000. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  13. ^ Kelly, Michael (September 10, 2015). "Shen's Anderson reflects on winning gold medal with Team USA baseball". DailyGazette.com.
  14. ^ Allen, James (June 11, 2016). "Shen's Ian Anderson shines in final high school start". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  15. ^ Hudy, Stan (December 21, 2016). "Baseball: State champs has a nice 'ring' to it". The Saratogian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  16. ^ "Shenendehowa graduate Anderson, Braves heading to World Series | The Daily Gazette". dailygazette.com. October 24, 2021.
  17. ^ Nichol, Jake (October 30, 2021). "Is Atlanta Braves star Ian Anderson a rookie?". HITC.
  18. ^ a b Bowman, Mark (June 9, 2016). "Braves tab prep right-hander Anderson at No. 3". MLB.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Bowman, Mark (June 25, 2016). "Braves agree with top Draft pick Anderson". MLB.com. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
  20. ^ Sherman, Doug (September 8, 2016). "Braves prospect Ian Anderson: 'I couldn't be happier'". WRGB.
  21. ^ Kelly, Michael (August 5, 2018). "Anderson promoted to Class A ball". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ian Anderson Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  23. ^ Mayo, Jonathan (April 5, 2018). "Where Braves' Top 30 prospects are starting season". MLB.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  24. ^ Dykstra, Sam (August 8, 2018). "Braves' Anderson promoted to Double-A". MLB.com. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  25. ^ "Ian Anderson Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball". MiLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  26. ^ Heneghan, Kelsie (January 28, 2019). "Braves invite four Top-100 prospects to camp". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  27. ^ Harris, Chris (April 2, 2019). "Mississippi Braves announce 2019 Opening Day roster". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  28. ^ "Six Mississippi Braves named to Southern League All-Star team". Clarion Ledger. June 6, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  29. ^ Harris, Chris (June 28, 2019). "Cristian Pache and Ian Anderson named to All-Star Futures Game Roster". Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  30. ^ Jim Callis (June 28, 2019). "Here are the 2019 Futures Game rosters". MLB.com. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  31. ^ Schott, Ken (July 5, 2019). "Shenendehowa grad Anderson pitching in Futures Game". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  32. ^ "Braves prospects Waters, Pache make Triple-A debuts". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  33. ^ Dykstra, Sam (August 5, 2019). "Braves' Waters, Anderson promoted to Triple-A". MILB.com. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  34. ^ Burns, Gabriel (September 8, 2019). "Ian Anderson headlines Braves' minor league players of year". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  35. ^ Dykstra, Sam (January 22, 2020). "Braves' Waters, Anderson receive invites". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  36. ^ Maun, Tyler (June 28, 2020). "Top prospects named to 60-man player pools". Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  37. ^ Bowman, Mark (June 28, 2020). "Braves set player pool; 4 spots remain". MLB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  38. ^ Burns, Gabriel (June 29, 2020). "Braves announce initial player pool for 2020 season". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  39. ^ Bowman, Mark (August 25, 2020). "Acuña, Markakis back; Anderson to debut". MLB.com. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  40. ^ "Ronald Acuna Jr., Nick Markakis return to Braves lineup; Ian Anderson promoted for MLB debut". ESPN. August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  41. ^ Burns, Gabriel (August 26, 2020). "Braves win as Ian Anderson outpitches Gerrit Cole in MLB debut". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  42. ^ Bowman, Mark (August 6, 2020). "Anderson lives up to hype with 1-hit debut". MLB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  43. ^ "Ian Anderson Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  44. ^ a b "Ian Anderson Stats". Baseball-Reference.com.
  45. ^ "BrooksBaseball.net Player Card: Ian Anderson". www.brooksbaseball.net.
  46. ^ "2020 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  47. ^ Irle, Chase (October 1, 2020). "Braves: Ian Anderson makes history as Braves win first playoff series since 2001". SportsTalkATL.com.
  48. ^ "Anderson, Braves push Marlins to brink of elimination". Reuters. Reuters. October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  49. ^ Singelais, Mark (November 3, 2021). "Shenendehowa grad Ian Anderson, Braves win World Series". TimesUnion.com. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  50. ^ Castrovince, Anthony (October 29, 2021). "Braves nearly unhittable, seize 2-1 WS lead". MLB.com. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  51. ^ Bowman, Mark (October 29, 2021). "Anderson in rare air with 5 no-hit innings". MLB.com. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  52. ^ a b McDaniel, Kiley (April 11, 2023). "Sources: Braves P Anderson to have TJ surgery". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  53. ^ "Atlanta Braves sending struggling right-handed starting pitcher Ian Anderson to minors". ESPN.com. August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  54. ^ Bowman, Mark (August 7, 2022). "Braves option 2021 playoff standout Anderson". MLB.com. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  55. ^ "Braves option RHPs Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder to Triple-A". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  56. ^ "Braves' Ian Anderson to undergo Tommy John surgery and will be sidelined until 2024, per report". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  57. ^ "Braves' Ian Anderson: Optioned to Triple-A". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  58. ^ Burns, Gabe (August 21, 2019). "Ian Anderson: Braves 2019 Minor League Player Of The Year". Baseball America. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  59. ^ a b Schector, Paige (August 26, 2020). "Anderson dazzles in big league debut for Braves". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  60. ^ Bumbaca, Chris (April 15, 2018). "Fire Frogs' Anderson spins five one-hit innings". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  61. ^ Lara-Cinisomo, Vincent (July 2, 2018). "Frogs' Anderson ties career high in K's". MILB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  62. ^ O'Brien, David (August 25, 2020). "Ian Anderson waits for debut, Ronald Acuña Jr. back in leadoff spot". The Athletic. Retrieved August 26, 2020. It's a kid that's got some good ride on his fastball. His secondary pitches — changeup, curveball — they've got potential to be really good pitches.
  63. ^ Callis, Jim; Mayo, Jonathan; Rosenbaum, Mike (February 27, 2020). "Filthiest secondary pitches among top prospects". MLB.com. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  64. ^ Burns, Gabriel (March 6, 2020). "Ian Anderson might be next Braves pitching prodigy". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  65. ^ Kelly, Michael (April 2, 2016). "Shen's Ben Anderson developed into top-notch pitcher". Daily Gazette. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  66. ^ Sherman, Doug (April 29, 2016). "Ian Anderson's debut helps Shen beat Columbia". WRGB. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  67. ^ "Shen's Anderson twins charting new courses". WRGB. October 14, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  68. ^ Kelly, Michael (June 11, 2016). "Ian's twin Ben Anderson drafted by Blue Jays". The Daily Gazette.
  69. ^ Singelais, Mark (June 5, 2019). "Shenendehowa graduate taken by Texas Rangers in MLB draft". Times Union. Retrieved August 26, 2020. Alternative links 1 2
  70. ^ MacAdam, Mike (June 5, 2019). "Shen grad Ben Anderson drafted by Texas Rangers". Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  71. ^ a b Allen, James (April 16, 2016). "A mound of opportunity". Times Union. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  72. ^ Schiltz, Jim (June 22, 2014). "School Baseball: Anderson goes out on top". Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  73. ^ Robinson, Tom (June 14, 2014). "Musk wills Schalmont to title". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved August 26, 2020.

External links[edit]

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