The lowdown on FA LHP Tyler Anderson

In 2022, it all finally came together for Tyler Anderson. After six years bouncing around in the pitching wilderness, Anderson signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason in the hopes of turning his career around.

That deal ended up being one of the best signings in baseball, as the team’s pitching department helped Anderson unlock a level to his arsenal that resulted in 15 wins, an All-Star selection and a sub-three ERA.

With Anderson back on the market, here’s what you need to know about the left-handed starter:

FAST FACTS
Birthdate: Dec. 30, 1989 (age 33 in 2023)
Primary position: SP
Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 220 lbs.
Bats/throws: Left/left
Place of birth: Las Vegas, NV
School(s): Spring Valley (NV) HS; University of Oregon
Drafted: 1st round (20th), 2011, by Rockies
MLB debut: June 12, 2016
Qualifying offer: Received one

THE NUMBERS
2022: 15-5, 2.57 ERA (163 ERA+), 138 K, 4.3 WAR* in 178 2/3 IP
Career: 44-43, 4.16 ERA (109 ERA+), 680 K, 11.9 WAR* in 802 1/3 IP
*Per Baseball-Reference

STAT TO KNOW
After being plagued by home runs over his first six years in baseball, Anderson was one of the best at keeping the ball in the park last season, as his 0.71 HR/9 was seventh-best in baseball among qualified pitchers. It was the first time since his rookie season that he finished a 162 game season with a home run per nine innings average under one.

QUESTION MARK
Will teams be willing to overlook his spotty track record? There’s no denying that Anderson’s 2022 season was strong, but his years of struggles and older age could preclude some teams from shelling out a multi-year contract. After such a strong season in Los Angeles, a return to the Dodgers could be in the cards.

He found success when he slowed down
One of the key factors for Anderson’s turnaround was the usage and makeup of his changeup. Anderson increased the pitch’s usage (he used it 31.6% of the time in 2022 compared to 24.6% in 2021), decreased its velocity by nearly two miles an hour (average of 79 mph) and found success, as batters averaged a measly .179 against it.

He’s hard to barrel up
Despite being in the bottom sixth percentile of baseball in fastball velocity, Anderson was still among the league’s best at limiting hard contact, as he finished the year in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate. That was all done on pitches attacking the zone, as he was in the 91st percentile in walk rate.

He initially started the year in the bullpen
It’s hard to believe now, but Anderson was a bit of an afterthought for the Dodgers at the beginning of the season. Initially signed as a depth piece, news of Anderson’s signing was first announced while the team was introducing Freddie Freeman. After making two four-inning relief appearances in the first two weeks of the season, Anderson was thrust into the Dodgers’ rotation in the middle of April and never looked back.

He’s chronicled his career in notebooks
From the time he entered the Minor Leagues, Anderson has kept a journal detailing his routine throughout the day -- an idea he took from George Horton, his college baseball coach. In his journal, Anderson details everything from how a catch session went to how many reps he did during a workout. “I feel like that’s a big part of baseball, is having a good routine,” Anderson told the Los Angeles Times. “So as I was going through it, I would keep track of what I would do. That way when I was doing well or feeling good, I could go back to that.”