Brian Anderson has made a good first impression of the National League East and the Miami Marlins. The rookie third baseman is one of five players who have been a pleasant surprise at the start of the 2018 MLB season, according to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
While the Marlins sit at the bottom of the division at 3-9, it is not because of Brian Anderson’s bat or play in the field. Anderson may not get the attention outfielder Lewis Brinson may be getting or pitchers Sandy Alcantara or Jorge Guzman are receiving on the minor league level, but the youngster is putting in his time and working harder every day on the major league level.
“Because [Lewis] Brinson was a highly touted offseason trade acquisition, he was the Marlins rookie who garnered the most attention and anticipation at the start of the year,” Castrovince writes. “But it’s actually been a homegrown product in Anderson who has been Miami’s most rousing rookie so far. Through 12 games, Anderson has a .295/.436/.455 slash line with a homer and four doubles.”
The more Anderson impresses, the harder it will be for Martin Prado to crack the starting lineup once he returns from the disabled list. Prado has been dealing with a hamstring injury that continues to cause issues for him since last season.
As Castrovince added, Brian Anderson has given early indications that the hot corner is his position to keep. Anderson profiled as a defensive asset at third because of his plus arm and his hands and range, but he’s been the Marlins’ biggest bat in the early going.
That’s big for the Miami Marlins, who are looking for anything positive to come out of the first 12 games of the season.
Castrovince chose one player from each of the five National League East ball clubs. Also included were Maikel Franco of the Philadelphia Phillies, Brian Goodwin of the Washington Nationals, Ryan Flaherty of the Atlanta Braves, and Seth Lugo of the New York Mets.
“It’s early, yes, but some surprises have emerged for all of these clubs to help make the NL East perhaps more compelling than advertised,” said Castrovince. “Here, we’re going to stick to the pleasant surprises (one for each club), if only to demonstrate that — whether it’s a team bound for first or last — there’s some good stuff happening in the early going.”