Whitecaps win home opener behind Max Anderson's hitting philosophy 'don't think that much'
COMSTOCK PARK - Opening day brings the hope of a new year and the West Michigan Whitecaps immediately showed why this season looks promising - and the future could look even brighter in Detroit.
Max Anderson, a second-round pick of the Detroit Tigers last year, drove in the first of three runs in the first inning with his first of three hits in his home debut for the Whitecaps.
Anderson is the No. 17 prospect of the Tigers according to Baseball America and he wasn't done. He reached base in his first four plate appearances to lead the Whitecaps to a 10-6 win over Quad Cities.
"It was awesome. The fans came out (4,002) and made it a great atmosphere. It was great to get the bats going," Anderson said. "I have always been a guy who doesn't necessarily think that much. It is just trying to keep it as simple as possible, thinking about it as the same game I have played my whole life. Being able to play in front of the fans and with this team is making it a lot easier. That makes it more pressure-free."
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The second baseman batted .414 and posted a 1.232 OPS with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs in 57 games, while striking out jut 29 times, at the University of Nebraska. After being drafted 45th overall, Anderson batted .289 with the Low-A Lakeland Tigers in 32 games.
He is off to a strong start with the Whitecaps with six hits in his first 10 at bats.
"For me, just being able to hit the fastball to right field and stay on every pitch," Anderson said. "Set your sights to right field and be able to pull the curveball. It is just refining your approach and having a plan every time you go up to the plate."
It was the first win for Whitecaps manager Tony Cappuccilli and he was impressed with Anderson.
"Max does a great job preparing himself. He has a clear idea of what his identity is and I am exited to have him at the top of the order," Cappuccilli said. "Our guys kept battling. Any win is big, but you get the music and fun in the clubhouse and that kind of stuff brings the team together. That is just as big as winning the game because it makes the team closer in here. The guys enjoy competing together and it has been fun to watch."
On the mound, Whitecaps starter Colin Fields struck out the first six batters of the game. Fields got a no-decision. He struck out eight in four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
"You are never going to expect that quick start, but getting that under the belt this early is a big building block for me moving forward," Fields said. "The adrenaline of the crowd was big. Coming from Low-A and a small college, I am not used to that and it added an extra bit of oomph. Being able to land my secondary pitches was big. It is always big when you start out with a win, especially a home opener. It is a big building block for us to lean on."
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Whitecaps win exciting home opener behind Max Anderson's hitting
