The new contract comes off the heels of the best season of Tyler Anderson’s career as he finished the 2022 season with a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and a 15-5 record. He also recorded 138 strikeouts during his breakout season.
Anderson’s 2022 season seemingly came out of nowhere as he was nothing more than a mediocre rotational arm throughout his career. From 2016 to 2021, Anderson posted a 4.62 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. His best season came at the age of 32, which shows that it’s never too late to adjust one’s game.
He may not be able to perform at the All-Star level he did in 2022, but if Anderson has truly changed his approach, he should be able to perform better than his career averages.
As it sits right now, the Los Angeles Angels rotation will most likely be Shohei Ohtani, Anderson, Reid Detmers, Jose Suárez and Patrick Sandoval. If their young pitchers can continue to evolve, they should have a solid stable of arms.
Tyler Anderson’s adjustments that helped him become an All-Star
A big reason for Anderson’s success in 2022 was reverting back to his old changeup grip. The move helped him suppress opponents’ exit velocities, posting the lowest average for starters with at least 10 starts (84.5 mph).
If Anderson continues to deliver his changeup with the effectiveness that he did last season, the Angels may have landed themselves a bargain. But if he falls back into his old form, his 2022 season may look more and more like a fluke.
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