MLB Star Search: A’s Brett Anderson

When the A’s started rebuilding after the 2007 season, they knew starting pitching would be an element for success. The A’s traded away Dan Haren to Arizona in exchange for group of talented young prospects. One of those prospects ended up being 2009 AL ROY Candidate, Brett Anderson.

The A’s used Anderson as a starter in their young rotation last season. The results at first weren’t exactly great. Anderson’s ERA in four April starts was 5.01. It later ballooned to 6.38 for five May starts. And for five starts in June his ERA was 5.00.

However, as the season progressed, Anderson seemed to gain more confidence and made adjustments when he needed to. As a result, in five July starts his ERA was 1.87. In fact, in the last three months of the 2009 season, Anderson compiled an ERA of 2.93–a big difference from his first three months in the big leagues (5.46 ERA).

The fact that Anderson threw for 175.1 innings, and compiled an 11-11 record is reason enough to believe that he’s just a few steps away from superstardom. Anderson, just 22 years old, has a nasty curveball and a solid fastball that tends to clock in at the mid-low 90’s. Many baseball analysts, scouts and managers around the league are predicting a big year out of Anderson in 2010.

And to all the doubters out there, Anderson does have quality stuff–just look at his 150 SO’s compared to his mere 45 BB’s. Make no mistake, this young kid is ahead of the game. He’s got great poise and potential to be a true “ace” in this league for the years to come.

As for Oakland, they did pretty well in the Haren deal. Rebuilding may not always be the popular thing to do, but sometimes it’s the right thing to do. Watching young guys like Anderson mature into future stars is extremely fun to watch. And in 2010, fans across the MLB should have a fun time watching Anderson dominate opposing offenses.