Anderson utilizing speed to improve his average
NBC Sports EDGE's Drew Silva explains why skeptics of Chicago White Sox SS Tim Anderson need to give him the benefit of the doubt due to his game-changing speed.
Video Transcript
DREW SILVA: White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been at least a four category fantasy stud five years running and a five category fantasy start each of the last three years, with the addition of an elite level batting average. But there's been some skepticism about that batting average, because his BABIP, batting average on balls in play, which is often an indicator of unsustainable good or bad luck, has been so sky high in recent seasons. Anderson had a 399 BABIP in 2019, it was 383 in 2020, and he's sporting a BABIP near 390 so far in 2021 when the league average for that metric year over a year usually hovers somewhere between 285 and 289.
Anderson's speed is the big differentiator here when comparing his profile to that of the average major leaguer. He can leg out infield hits on balls in play. And when he does make hard contact, the ball tends to travel a long way into the gap or even sometimes over the fence. The stolen bases, the double digit home run power, it's all translating to production that will continue to keep any Tim Anderson skeptics at bay.
