So far this year playing for Gabe Kapler's Greenville Drive....

G: 7
AB: 24
AVG: .333
OBP: .407
SLG: .417
BB: 3
SO: 10
2B: 2
HR: 0

That's pretty good for a guy that played high school ball last year before being drafted in June.

I didn't see another thread for him, but if there is one feel free to merge this. If not, I'll track the big guy.....

The walk numbers need to rise and strikeouts need to be cut back but overall off to a pretty good start.

Agreed, but I think with time those changes will come, as will the power. It'll be fun to watch him make the jump from HS ball straight to A ball without going the short season route first (sorry Lowell fans). It's gonna be a fun year to watch this kid.....

First pro HR last night.

G: 9
AB: 32
AVG: .375
OBP: .429
SLG: .563
BB: 3
SO: 11
2B: 3
HR: 1

Next year Lars is going to rip through the California League.

I was down in Charleston and saw his second pro game: 2 for 4, with a line single to left and a sharp grounder down the right field line for a double (plus a ground out to 2nd and a K). I liked that he went the other way on the single. He also looked pretty good in the field, and from what I could tell during warm-ups, he seems to have a great attitude.

The weather has been cold down there, so it's been a pitcher's paradise. He is pretty much the only guy on that team who is hitting. So far, there's every reason to believe he's the real deal. I'm psyched.

From today's BA Jim Callis chat:


And, updating the numbers:

G: 12
AB: 43
AVG: .349
OBP: .429
SLG: .535
BB: 6
SO: 13
2B: 3
3B: 1
HR: 1
RBI: 7

Sign of progress: thru 9 games his SO/BB was 11/3, but over the last 3 games it was 2/3 bringing him to 13/6.

Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet

G: 22
AB: 78
AVG: .333
OBP: .409
SLG: .513
BB: 10
SO: 24
2B: 6
3B: 1
HR: 2
RBI: 11

G: 34
AB: 123
AVG: .301
OBP: .368
SLG: .423
BB: 13
SO: 35
2B: 7
3B: 1
HR: 2
RBI: 12

He's having some struggles with LHP, as his splits indicate (.207/.330), but it's all a learning process and still very encouraging that he's continuing to hit around .300 with a good OBP thus far in his first pro year. Improving his power and hitting LHP right now appear to be the things he needs work on.....so far so good though.

BA's Prospect Hot Sheet for the week:

Here's a dream for you: Lars continues his development for three years, moving up a class each year, and takes over at first for Youkilis in 2010. Youks moves to third, because Mike Lowell's two-year, $13.5 million contract extension he'll sign with the Sox later this season will be running out, and it'll be time to move on, perhaps back to Florida to be the new Jeff Conine.

Can it happen?

G: 61
AB: 222
AVG: .311
OBP: .407
SLG: .482
BB: 36
SO: 55
2B: 16
3B: 2
HR: 6
RBI: 35

Most encouraging has to be the k/bb numbers. Through the first 30-odd games he was about 3k's for every walk. His last 30-odd games it's almost a 1/1 ratio.

G: 90
AB: 336
AVG: .301
OBP: .387
SLG: .473
BB: 47
SO: 85
2B: 30
3B: 2
HR: 8
RBI: 53

Probably going to spend most of the year in Greenville, which should be just fine as far as his development is concerned. He's still struggling to hit LHP as well as RHP's; although he slug's each of them equally his L/R splits (avg: .250/.321, obp: .314/.414) show he's still developing his ability to hit lefties.

All in all a very encouraging first year in the majors so far.......he and Kalish's success should hopefully encourage the FO to spend on some of the later round kids they took in the 2007 draft.

Link

That's a nice reward for Anderson for a strong first pro season, and it'll give him a chance to experience the playoffs with Lancaster. He slumped a little in mid-season, but has really rebounded nicely (.328/.418/.463 in August), which is nice to see.

Through his first 4 games for Lancaster (all at home), Anderson is 5-12 with a 2B, a HR and 6 BBs. He has a chance to put up some insane numbers in the California League next year.

Lars hit two home runs last night. Now in 104 PAs his line is .300/.394/.544 with 5 home runs, 23 strike outs to 14 walks, .355 on balls in play.

Typical Lancaster split though, .222/.311/.352 on the road, .417/.512/.833 at home

Dan Goldberg, Antelope Valley Press - Refining his Trade; Top prospect Anderson works tirelessly at plate

LANCASTER - Lars Anderson can't really help himself. He can't stop. He said he looked forward to the All-Star break, few days at home in Sacramento away from baseball. When prodded, however, he admitted that he would probably end up in the backyard in the batting cage his father built for him.

It's not a compulsion, it's cathartic.

Anderson, despite being 20 years old, is a throwback. He doesn't fit in with the ESPN culture, doesn't swing for the fences or tape-measure home runs.

He is a purist.

He enjoys working on hitting, but not talking about it, and he loathes the parameters by which success is often defined.

"I try not to look at (numbers)," said Anderson, the JetHawks' first baseman. "I wish statistics had never been invented. They cause so much anguish."

If they hadn't, the Boston organization would not have been aware of his California-leading 15 home runs for Jesuit High School in 2006, and probably would not have drafted him in the 18th round that year nor lavished him with an $825,000 signing bonus.

Nor would Baseball America have had the wherewithal to rank him the best minor league prospect in the organization.

That kind of hype, according to Anderson, has more use as clubhouse fodder than accurate analysis.

"Oh man, I wish I knew some of the people who came up with these rankings," Anderson said. "It's such an esoteric thing, I would like to know if they have ever seen me play."

Those who have seen him play on a regular basis mention two traits to justify the praise.

Shouldn't this be updated? He's playing for the Sea Dogs now (and kicking butt too!)

If he keeps hitting this way, he is going to be knocking on the door of the big club by next spring. I wonder how that would shake out with Lowell and Youks in the fold. It would be a nice problem to have.

An interview with Lars:

http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7940

Wow, he's kind of a smart kid. Unusual. Can't wait till he hits the majors and talks to Beckett about Kingsolver.

Lars Anderson Named Eastern League Player of the Week

Portland, Maine- Portland Sea Dogs' first baseman/designated hitter Lars Anderson has been selected the Bank of America Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of August 11th through August 17th. The selection was made by Major League Baseball Advanced Media.

The 20 year-old Anderson hit .476 (10-21) for the week with two home runs, six RBI, and nine runs scored. He hit his second grand slam of the season on Thursday becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to have two grand slams in one season. Anderson accomplished the feat in just 80 at-bats. He has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games.


Anderson, rated by Baseball America as the # 3 prospect in the Red Sox organization, joined the Sea Dogs on July 16th from Single-A Lancaster. In 28 games for the Sea Dogs, Anderson is hitting .56 with five home runs and 23 RBI, he has collected a hit in 24 of the 28 games that he has played.

Adam Loberstein, The Sacramento Bee - Former Jesuit star Anderson having major impact in minors

Anderson, who Epperson calls the top hitting prospect in the Red Sox system, earned his way to Lancaster after batting .288 with 10 home runs and 35 doubles as a first-year pro in "low-A" Greenville (S.C.).

He didn't disappoint in his JetHawks debut, hitting .343 in 10 games to close out 2007. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder kept hitting in Lancaster this season, posting a .317 average with 33 extra-base hits in 77 games.

Anderson acknowledges the fact there are high expectations of his play, but he's learned to cope with them by simplifying things.

"It's things like, 'Oh, man, you should hit 50 homers, have ridiculous numbers, do ridiculous things,' " Anderson said. "I kind of broke it down, made the issue a little bit smaller.

"I just go have fun and try not to worry about that stuff anymore. I know that it's there, but don't worry about it."

Entering Saturday, Anderson is batting .365 through 26 games with the Sea Dogs. His on-base (.455) and slugging percentages (.647) are also higher in the Eastern League than they were in the California League.

Thursday night, Anderson had four RBIs against Altoona, and Friday night, he went4 for 4 against Harrisburg.

"I don't care if we're playing in the Cal League or in Yellowstone, this guy can flat-out hit," Epperson said.

Anderson has five homers in Portland after hitting 18 in the Cal League. Anderson admits he has power, but doesn't want to be labeled a home-run hitter.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that he'll be (at most) a mid to late season call up next season and will take over the 1B position the following year with Youk moving to 3B and Lowell being injured most of the season. I love Mikey as a player but hip injuries (especially hip flexor) dont usually go away at his age. Or another alternative (if lowell is healthy) is, if Ortiz's body doesn't hold up, he could take over the DH spot. It will be an interesting situation though to say the least especially if everyone is healthy. I could see them even waiting until Lowell's contract is up to bring him to the club full time. I mean, he is only 20 so he'll be 23 by the time Lowell is gone.

Kevin Thomas, Press Herald - He's sky-high as a prospect with Sea Dogs; Lars Anderson spends time looking upward while reflecting – all part of the persona that will take him a long way.



The Red Sox don't claim to make projections on their minor leaguers, and they wouldn't make them public if they did. But one reasonable estimate, assuming Anderson's progression and health, is that he will reach Triple-A Pawtucket at some point next season. By the 2010 season, Anderson could be splitting time between Pawtucket and Boston.

By 2011, with third baseman Mike Lowell having played out his contract, Anderson could become the Red Sox regular first baseman, with Kevin Youkilis moving from first to third.

A starter for the Red Sox at age 23? It's the same age Dustin Pedroia was when he took over the second base job. Jacoby Ellsbury turned 24 last September; Jed Lowrie turned 24 in April.

If Anderson is so good, why was he an 18th-round draft pick in 2006 – the 553rd selection overall?






Kevin Thomas, Press Herald - More on Lars

Anderson is a thoughtful, intriguing man. I hope you enjoy the story.

The story is incomplete, however, because I failed to mention what kind of guitar Lars bought with his signing bonus. Lars emailed the information late Tuesday night:

"I bought an all white fender stratocaster (looks like the one Hendrix played, see Woodstock videos)." Love it when a man born in 1987 refers to Woodstock.

Anderson also refers to a song called "Play Crack the Sky" by the group "Brand New." In the interest of further research, I've included a link to the Brand New video on youtube.

Lars Anderson, 2008



- Eastern League Player of the Week (8/18/2008)
- 2008 Baseball America Minor League All-Star (2nd Team - 1B)
- 2008 SoxProspects.com Offensive Player of the Year

EDIT: Screw trying to deal with the codes... he had a very good season.