The Chicago White Sox won a huge Saturday game over the Cleveland Indians. Lance Lynn was good on the mound in a return from a slight injury which was so nice to see. Michael Kopech and Aaron Bummer locked things down when Lynn was done. One player who deserves a little bit of extra credit is Tim Anderson. He was a big reason they won the game and honestly should start getting some respect in the MVP conversation.
Tim Anderson is one of the most important players on the Chicago White Sox.
It is only May so MVP conversations don’t really need to take place but Tim Anderson will be there when the time is right. It felt very unlikely that the Indians were going to come back in the ballgame when Tim Anderson hit a grand slam in the early going. Cleveland doesn’t hit well as a team so this was so great for the White Sox’s chance.
Anderson also made a lot of stellar defensive plays in the game to round it out for the White Sox. He made one play in particular where he ran for the ball and made a Spin-O-Rama throw to first base and nailed the runner. It was spectacular to see. It is even better when you think about how far he has come as a defensive shortstop. Getting to this level is what might get him in that MVP conversation. He is no longer one-dimensional (an elite hitter).
Anderson has been particularly hot lately. He has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games. In that span, he has a slash of .339/.373/.536 with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, and 12 runs scored. Those are some quality offensive numbers for Anderson from the leadoff spot.
His grand slam in yesterday’s game ended a streak of 15 straight solo shots from him going back to 2019. It makes sense because he has established himself as a leadoff man but it is nice to see him crack one with some men on base. It also speaks to the fact that the White Sox have a bit of a deeper lineup that can put men on for when he comes back up to bat.
Anderson’s success is going to drive the Chicago White Sox. When he was a bit injured earlier in the season, the team didn’t seem to have the same juice that they normally have. It is clear that they are a completely different ball club when he is there and playing well. This is a good stretch for him and it would be nice to see it continue.