A Look at Chinooks in the Minor Leagues

Brian Anderson – Miami Marlins – Greensboro Grasshoppers (A)

One of the most gifted athletes to wear a Chinook uniform, Brian Anderson was selected with the 76^th overall pick in the 3^rd round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. The 6’3 infielder from the Arkansas Razorbacks raised his draft level after being selected in the 20^th round of the 2011 draft coming out of high school. An impressive three-year career in the SEC, along with a stint with the Chinooks in their inaugural 2012 season, helped Anderson improve his stock.

Chinooks fans may remember Anderson’s impressive debut performance upon first arriving to Kapco Park. On July 6, 2012 he hit a walk-off homerun to help Lakeshore defeat the La Crosse Loggers 8-7. Brian went on to hit four more home runs and posted a .290 batting average in 25 games, leaving an impression on Coach Eddy Morgan. Morgan recalls, “Brian was the most physically gifted and raw athlete that we have seen with the Chinooks.” Anderson returned to the Razorbacks where he got better as his career went along. The second baseman worked up from a limited freshman season to a year in which he hit .325 with a .488 slugging percentage in his sophomore season. He maintained very similar numbers in his junior year and helped the Razorbacks to a 40-25 record before declaring for the draft.

Anderson celebrates a walk-off home run with his Greensboro teammates. Photo courtesy of www.newsrecord.com

The Marlins, in need of depth in their infield, were impressed with Anderson’s ability to play both second and third base. After signing his pro contract, Anderson split the 2014 summer playing Class A ball for the Batavia Muckdogs (20 games) and the Greensboro Grasshoppers (39 games) and was ranked as the Marlins No. 19 prospect. He performed well for the short-season Muckdogs before breaking out with the Grasshoppers, ultimately ending his first pro season batting .300 with an .859 OPS, 11 homers and 49 RBIs and being named by MLB.com as the Marlin’s organization All-Star at third base. Though drafted as a second baseman, Brian spent most of the summer playing third.

"He really settled into that position," says Brian Chattin, Miami's director of player development. "As we continue up the ladder with him, we're not going to just lock him into third base. We'll continue to explore and play him at second as well, but he profiles well at the third-base position, in an area where we look for him to continue to grow and develop. Any time you have a player that demonstrates athleticism and versatility and a comfort level with playing multiple positions and not letting the defensive variance affect his offensive performance, it's encouraging for his long-term potential." With those early reviews, Chinooks fans would be wise to keep an eye on Anderson!