White Sox: Tim Anderson’s Defense Must Improve Next Season
White Sox shortstop committed 28 errors this past season, most in the majors. The youngster will need to work on better defense for 2018.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson had a slow start to his 2017 season both offensively and defensively. Although he turned his season around in the second half, the 24-year-old will need to have better defense next season for the Sox.
Anderson committed a career-high 28 errors at shortstop this past season, the most in the majors. If Anderson is going to become one of the better shortstops in MLB, he will need to become a better defender at a premium position.
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The young shortstop has shown that he has the range to play shortstop, but his inability to prevent errors has prevented him from being an elite defender. Anderson actually had a better second half defensively, but he wasn’t able to escape having the most errors in the majors overall in 2017.
In the second half, Anderson committed just eight errors. In the month of September, he only committed two errors. This was his best month defensively for the Sox. In fact, Anderson went 20 games without committing an error from July 18 until Aug. 18 of this year. Although he had a rough first half, that could be attributed to him dealing with the emotional toll of his best friend passing away.
In early August, Anderson opened up about the effect his friend’s death had on him early this season. Anderson certainly didn’t seem like the same player from 2016 when he debuted in the majors for the Sox. After a rough first half in 2017, Anderson improved both at the plate and defensively. His defense did get much better in the second half, but he will need to carry that momentum into 2018.
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Anderson will begin his third major league season as the Sox shortstop in 2018, and will most likely be much better defensively. As the Sox continue their rebuild, it will be vital for Anderson to limit his errors at shortstop. If he can have the same success he enjoyed in the second half of this past season, it could bode well for the Sox as they look to build a contending team for the future.