Tim Anderson closed out the White Sox' season series against the Kansas City Royals by making it all about himself. He clubbed the go-ahead homer in the top of the 12th, then sealed the deal with an outstanding stab and throw from the hole.
So it's only fitting to make the morning's post all about Anderson as well.
Let's start this one by answering a question Wimpys Shovel asked at the top of the recap thread:
Haven’t watched too many games recently. It seemed like Tim was standing more upright in the box than I remember. Any truth to that? It might help him lay off the low pitches over time. Anyways, seeing him have a game like this was great.
A little! Here's Anderson launching the game-winning homer:
Here's Anderson muscling a single to left a month before:
He seems to end up in the same position as he starts his swing, but perhaps starting from a different position allows him to time a delivery better. It seems like this new stance has been employed for the month. There's no detectable difference in terms of his production:
- Aug: .267/.291/.467 over 111 PA
- Sept: .262/.279/.476 over 43 PA
But Statcast says his hard-hit rate is starting to rebound after plummeting in July and staying down in August:
This was the reason I wondered whether he would even get to 20 homers by the end of the season, and putting it out to left of center at Kauffman Stadium for No. 19 alleviates some concerns.
Anderson had a strong September last season, one shouldn't expect a repeat to have any kind of carryover effect because that September has been more productive than any of his months in 2018 so far.
However, while a furious finish helped cover for what was a trying year personally and professionally in 2017, such a September would merely help him lock in detectable progress. Here's where his year-over-year stats stand:
- 2017: .257/.276/.402 over 606 PA
- 2018: .248/.290/.420 over 710 PA
The hit tool has disappointed, especially against breaking balls. But he has more extra-base hits, far more walks and stolen bases, and the strikeout rate is declining as well. If an upswing can get the OBP closer to .300 -- or even over it -- then it's easier to see him as on the right track.
The good news is that Anderson's defense has allowed him to paper over whatever gaps remain in his offensive approach to be a valuable position player. Look at this play to end Wednesday's game.
Rick Renteria certainly saw it.
Remember the arguments to shift Anderson to center field because he's not a true shortstop? Good times.
The metrics aren't quite in love with Anderson's defense yet. They have him slightly above average, with the early glut of errors being the biggest ding on his UZR score, but it's all coming together in a compelling package that stands without assistance.
If this is what Anderson is -- a hot-and-cold hitter and a plus defender at a key position -- the Sox can play with that. They'll just need other bats that can easily clear a .330 OBP so his weaknesses don't come to the fore so often.
Between the aggressive approach and exciting defense, he draws a lot of easy comparisons to Alexei Ramirez. That's great, because Ramirez provided a ton of value on a contract that fit on any payroll.
The downside is that Ramirez went underappreciated by a lot of fans and media in his own time. His flaws were glaring enough that people dwelt on his inability to solve them, rather than accept what he provided and instead focus on the front office's inability to provide help elsewhere. Maybe Anderson has strides left in him, but either way, the Sox will need to do right by a dependable shortstop this time.
