Tim Anderson's rapid decline is one of the more shocking things to happen across Major League Baseball over the last few years.
In 2019, Anderson won the Batting Title and hit .335 for the Chicago White Sox. He established himself as the face of an up-and-coming franchise and became one of the most polarizing figures in the sport.
From 2019-2022, Anderson hit above .300 in every season. He was selected to the All-Star game twice, won a Silver Slugger Award, won the aforementioned Batting Title, and led the White Sox to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
He did all of that before his 30th birthday. Then Anderson's production fell off a cliff. It seemed like it happened over night. Over the last three seasons, he has been trying to find his swing and return to form, but now his MLB career might be over entirely.
The Los Angeles Angels - Anderson's third team in three years - designated Anderson for assignment on Wednesday.
Anderson's rapid decline
Anderson was hitting .205 with a .499 OPS with the Angels this season. He hit .214 with a .463 OPS for the Miami Marlins in 2024.
In his early years with the White Sox, Anderson was regularly driving the ball out of the ballpark and producing extra-base hits to all fields. In 2018, he hit 20 home runs. He hit 10 home runs in 49 games played during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
For a five year stretch, Anderson could be counted on for 17-20 home runs in a season. Everything changed in the second half of 2022.
In the last 262 MLB games that Anderson has played in, he has taken 997 at-bats and hit...two home runs. Anderson's power magically disappeared. His bat speed rapidly declined and his approach at the plate has been all over the place.
Given how much he struggled and his bouncing from team to team over the last few seasons, I would genuinely surprised if Tim Anderson got another shot in Major League Baseball. I think we have seen the end of his career.
He will always be a White Sox legend and a fan favorite. He is responsible for some of my favorite moments as a White Sox fan - The Field of Dreams home run was a moment in time that I will never forget.
As sad as this conclusion may be, it's always the brightest stars that burn the fastest. There have been few stars on the South Side quite like TA7.