Prospect gets taste of major league life
JUPITER — On the first official day of Brian Anderson’s first major league spring training, he returned to the Marlins’ clubhouse after working out only to find he could barely reach his locker. He had been edged out by the throngs of Japanese reporters crowding around his neighbor, Ichiro Suzuki.
So it goes when you’re a 23-year-old prospect with a locker next to a future Hall of Famer.
“He’s a living legend,” said Anderson, who is one year younger than Ichiro’s professional baseball career. “He’s a very neat guy. I’m just trying to make sure none ofmy stuff gets over in front of his locker.”
Small talk with Ichiro is a part of Anderson’s world this spring, and he hopes it’s part of his world in the future, too. Primarily a third baseman, Anderson is the Marlins’ top position-player prospect and their fourth overall, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings, and a call-up atsomepoint in2017 is within reason.
He’s in big league camp after spending the second half of 2016 with Double-A Jacksonville, followed by an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League, a finishing school of sorts for top minor leaguers. Anderson hit .273 with a .360 on-base percentage and .506 slugging percentage to go along with a league-high five homers and 12 RBI in only 22 games.
Third baseman Martin Prado’s three-year deal that runs through 2019 complicates Anderson’s clearest route to the majors, as well as his long-term position on the Marlins’ depth chart. But it’s hard for him to worry too much about that right now.
Anderson, Miami’s thirdround pick in the 2014 draft, has collegiate and professional experience all over the field, whichworks to his advantage.
“I’m just trying to be the best baseball player I can be,” Anderson said. “As far as position-wise, I can’t really control that. All I can control is my attitude, my effort going into each day. If [the Marlins] want to give me an outfield glove and have me go out there, I’ll go out there and take fly balls and be as good as I can. If they want me to move over to short, second, first, I’m willing to do so — because I’ve done it throughout my college career and a little bit in pro ball.”
Manager Don Mattingly said the plan for now is to keep Anderson at third, but he left the door open for the organization to improve Anderson’s positional flexibility.
That’s something the Marlins very much value, as seen with bench players Derek Dietrich and Miguel Rojas at the major league level.
“We want to make sure we don’t screwuphis development by putting him in different spots,” Mattingly said. “We really like him at third. We don’twant to back that up. We want to let him develop at third base.”
For now, Anderson will try to make the most out of this taste of the big leagues this spring.
“Everyone’s kind of embraced me, as one of the younger guys here,” Anderson said. “The wealth of knowledge here is so overwhelming almost. You’re just trying to take in as much as you can.”