This story was excerpted from Jason Beck’s Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
TOLEDO, Ohio -- The late innings of Spring Training games can be a grind, but stick around to the last out, and you might see a play from a prospect getting a late at-bat that becomes a glimpse into the future.
For Max Anderson, that moment came against the Pirates on March 14 in Bradenton, Fla., where he got a slider from veteran reliever Ryan Borucki and crushed it 418 feet to center field. It was a ninth-inning solo homer that salvaged a tie game for the Tigers. It was also a sneak preview for Anderson’s season to come.
Anderson has been an offensive-minded prospect ever since the Tigers drafted him in the second round in 2023, right after the team's No. 2 prospect Max Clark and their top prospect Kevin McGonigle. One big question with Anderson, an All-Big Ten player at Nebraska, was whether his sudden power surge in his Draft year would translate.
Two years later, Anderson has slugged his way to Detroit’s doorstep. With a .296 average, 29 doubles, 18 homers, 82 RBIs and an .830 OPS between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, the 23-year-old has climbed the Tigers’ prospect rankings, currently at No. 9. He has also earned a spot in the Arizona Fall League alongside McGonigle, fellow infielder Jack Penney and pitching prospects Jake Miller (No. 19), Dariel Fregio, Carlos Lequerica and Kenny Serwa.
Anderson’s AFL assignment is in part about defense, helping the second and third baseman find a defensive spot. But his bat has been the biggest consideration in prompting Detroit to find him a role. In a Tigers farm system awash in infield prospects, from McGonigle to Hao-Yu Lee (No. 6) to Jace Jung to Colt Keith in Detroit, the fact that the Tigers held onto Anderson at the Trade Deadline reflects a belief that he can help them.
Anderson has long eclipsed the 11-homer, 22-double season he posted last year between Erie and High-A West Michigan. Beyond ballparks, part of that jump reflects a change in approach.
“Just kind of a mental change in just trying to get the ball in the air a little more. Just focus on lifting [the ball], just focusing on not hitting ground balls and getting the ball in the air,” Anderson said. “But swing-wise, I kind of have the same swing that I’ve always had.”
Anderson has raised his fly-ball rate from 27.2 percent last year to 32.7 percent this season, according to Fangraphs. His ground-ball rate, in turn, has dropped from 50.4 to 45.7 percent. He’s pulling the ball at a career-best 39.2 percent rate, including 44.3 percent since his August promotion to Triple-A, after getting beat inside on pitches at High-A West Michigan last year.
“He’s a confident hitter. And he’s not just up there swinging,” Mud Hens manager Gabe Alvarez said. “He’s a guy with a plan and an approach, and when he stays within himself and with his approach, he’s dangerous.”
Said Anderson: “The goal is always just to hit the ball as hard as you can, and whatever happens, happens after it leaves your bat. But it’s nice knowing that when you do your job and you have a successful plan, that you’re going to get rewarded for hitting the ball hard.”
Defensively, Anderson made strides at second base this year after working on his first step and on reading swings. The extra reps in the AFL should help.
“The best defensive guys are just way more consistent,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that separates guys from staying at their level and then moving up, just being consistent and making the plays you’re supposed to, and making some of the extraordinary plays but really locking in on not making mental mistakes and doing what you’re supposed to.”