Though the Chicago White Sox are only 3-7 to start the season, Tim Anderson’s hot start is a point of encouragement for fans of the South Siders.
Through his team’s first 10 games, Chicago White Sox 25-year-old shortstop Tim Anderson is 17-for-33, good for an MLB-leading .515 batting average.
Though Anderson posted a .240 average last year, he was one of only seven players in the 20-20 club. In all, he garnered 2.5 WAR, seeing his defense improve, making 7 fewer errors than his 2017 season.
Our Etheria Modacure predicted a month ago that 2019 could potentially be a breakout year for the former top prospect.
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So far, Etheria’s prophesy has come to fruition. Anderson went 10-for-13 in last weekend’s 3-game set with the Seattle Mariners. Current M’s catcher and former teammate of Anderson’s Omar Narvaez lauded Anderson’s approach at the plate, saying, “He’s seeing the ball well, and he’s staying behind for everything. We tried throwing some pitches in, he was laying off of it. He really knew what he was looking for at the plate.”
Most importantly, Anderson feels as though he made some key changes in his approach during the offseason. A former basketball star, Anderson admitted during spring training that it was not until recently that he felt he made the transition from a raw athlete to a baseball player.
After the series with the Mariners, Anderson told reporters,
"“I think I’m understanding the game more. I’m staying inside the baseball a lot more. I feel really good at the plate. I feel really comfortable. A lot of confidence,” Anderson said. “I think I can be consistent with this. I know my routine and what I’m doing now. I was able to take it into the game with me. Hopefully, I continue to swing like that.”"
In addition to his offseason work and his different approach at the plate, maybe the biggest key to Anderson’s success is the birth of he and his wife Bria’s second baby, Paxton. The Sox placed Anderson on paternity leave prior to the Mariners weekend series. After his 10-for-13 showing against Seattle though, even Bria can’t help but notice Anderson’s “Daddy Strength”.
Seriously. The guy has been sleeping on the most uncomfortable twin size couch in the hospital since MONDAY & is still knocking bonkers out of the park. 😭😍 we’re guna need to bring that couch home 🤣😂
— Pretty Bri (@speakBRIAspeak) April 6, 2019
After Manny Machado opted to sign with the San Diego Padres, when asked his opinion of Machado’s decision to sign elsewhere, Anderson replied,
"“We’re going to be South Side regardless. Nobody’s decision determines what we’ve got going on in this locker room. I feel we have a great group of guys here. We’re going to do something special. The White Sox are moving in the right direction. One decision won’t dictate our season."
During this rebuilding period for the White Sox, Tim Anderson has emerged as the voice and face of the franchise. After his initial call-up in the 2016 season, some outlets proclaimed that “the Tim Anderson era had begun.”
In his age-26 season, Anderson looks poised to make his 2019 season a special one. With one of the best farm systems in the MLB set to join him in the coming months and years, the Chicago White Sox will look to build a core around their shortstop.
With a confidence level that is sky-high, Tim Anderson is ready to lead the White Sox to “something special” in 2019 and onward.