ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – In his first career start, Ian Anderson – then a 22-year-old summoned from the Braves’ alternate training site during the wonky 2020 season – outdueled All-Star Gerrit Cole. In his next start, Anderson became the second pitcher to defeat the Yankees and Red Sox in his first two outings.
The same year, he made his postseason debut with three consecutive scoreless outings against the Reds, Marlins and Dodgers. He even started Game 7 in the National League Championship Series.
When the Braves clinched their fourth consecutive division title in 2021, Anderson started the game. He had a 3.58 ERA in 24 starts during his first full season. Anderson then had a 1.59 ERA in four postseason starts – including pitching five no-hit innings in Game 5 of the World Series – as the Braves won a championship.
In MLB history, there aren’t many pitchers who accomplished more than Anderson before age 24. He enjoyed more success in 1-1/2 seasons than some have in a 15-year career. That’s what made his 2022 season so baffling.
It turned out Anderson hadn’t experienced it all. He hadn’t endured a true low point.
Anderson had a 5.00 ERA in 22 outings. He never found his command, walking at least four in six starts and issuing 4.4 walks per nine innings. He surrendered 12 homers in 111-2/3 innings. He produced only six quality starts (at least six innings pitched with three or fewer runs allowed).
“Command was a big thing,” Anderson said Friday, reflecting on last season. “And then how I was throwing my pitches, how I was throwing my fastball. Trying to get ride back on my fastball. That’s something I use to be effective, and last year that was not necessarily the case. So that was a big thing. And I think a lot of that came from cleaning up my delivery a little bit. Just getting comfortable with it and moving down and out a little bit better.”
In late July, after the Angels knocked Anderson around, he said he was enduring “probably the worst stretch of baseball I’ve had in my life.” Reminded of that line Friday, he added: “And it didn’t stop.”
While pitching for Triple-A Gwinnett in September, Anderson suffered an oblique strain that ended his season. Then he began his own rebuilding process, clearing his mind as he focused on 2023.
“Once I got sent down, there were obviously things I knew I needed to work on,” Anderson said. “I think I was still kind of one foot here, one foot there. I wasn’t in a good space to do that. Getting hurt sucked. Missing out on the playoffs sucked. I feel like I could’ve helped out the team. But I think it was good for me to (get) a complete reset, get healthy, finish the rehab process and get started on what I wanted to work on.”
This wasn’t supposed to happen. Anderson seemed like he was past any young-player meltdowns. Now, in the grand scheme of the Braves, it’s impossible to speak about Anderson with any certainty. That would’ve been a ludicrous thought when the Braves were celebrating at Minute Maid Park in November 2021.
“It was all a whirlwind when I came up, COVID year (2020), I was flying blind,” Anderson said. “In 2021, same kind of thing. We weren’t doing very well then all of a sudden we can’t lose and go all the way and win the World Series. Last year was (my) first, ‘Man, this is what the big leagues is.’ It’s tough. These are the best players in the world. The competitor in me thought I could figure it out on the fly, but looking back on it now, I think I’m in a better spot.”
His spot on the team, however, isn’t secure. Anderson is competing for the fifth-starter spot with Bryce Elder, who debuted a season ago. Anderson will factor into the Braves’ season regardless of where he begins it, but he’s hoping he stays an every-fifth-day fixture with the club.
It’s an important spring training for Anderson. His first start was messy: He gave up four runs on three hits – surrendering two homers – while recording only four outs. His second was better, with Anderson allowing one hit and an unearned run in 2-1/3 frames.
His third exhibition outing came Friday at a major-league park. Anderson faced the Rays at Tropicana Field, where Tampa Bay is holding its spring training because of damage sustained to its Port Charlotte facility during Hurricane Ian.
Anderson hit Rays leadoff man Yandy Diaz with a pitch to start the game, forcing Diaz into an immediate exit. Brandon Lowe flew out to deep, deep center in the next at-bat. He coaxed a double play out of Manuel Margot to end the inning.
Anderson walked Vidal Brujan to start the second. Two hitters later, Brujan scored on former Braves utilityman Charlie Culberson’s hit. Anderson didn’t allow another hit or run, but his command remains a work in progress, as the three walks and hit batter show. Manager Brian Snitker admitted the command is “a little bit” of a concern with Anderson, who’s walked eight hitters in 7-1/3 innings thus far.
The final line Friday: Anderson completed 3-2/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit in the Braves’ 3-2 win. His results largely are irrelevant; this time of year, it’s how a pitcher feels about his process.
“I’m not super happy with the walks, but I feel like I did a good job of battling and slowing the game down,” Anderson said. “That’s one of the biggest things this early on. It sped up on me a little bit. I knew Brujan could run. I sped things up, but once I was able to calm it down I did a good job.”
He added: “I think from what I’ve seen so far, the life on the fastball is back (this spring). I’m happy with that. Now it’s refining the other stuff.”
To begin his career, Anderson had always been up to the task. He showed remarkable poise at an early age. Time will tell how Anderson, still only 24, handles his most challenging obstacle yet.
“I think he’s been good (mentally),” Snitker said. “It’s hard. When all that kind of stuff happens and you have to fight back, it’s hard to do. I think he has that mental toughness to overcome all that.”
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
