Ian Anderson previews his game two start against the Reds
Ian Anderson makes his first career playoff start, and just the seventh start of his major league career. • Is the first pitcher in franchise history to start in the postseason despite making no more than six career regular season appearances. • Anderson is the first pitcher in baseball to make a postseason start with no more than six career regular season games since Cleveland’s Ryan Merritt in Game 5 of the 2016 ALCS vs. Toronto...Merritt held the Blue Jays to two hits over 4.1 scoreless innings despite pitching in just four major league games and making one start prior to the playoffs. • Made six starts during his rookie campaign and went 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA (7 ER/32.1 IP) and 41 strikeouts.
Anderson entered the season ranked by MLB.com as Atlanta’s top pitching prospect, and as the Braves’ No. 3 prospect overall...He is rated as the No. 42 prospect in baseball. • His 41 strikeouts are the most by a Braves pitcher through their first six appearances in the live-ball era, passing Mike Minor who had 36. • Since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, just one other starter opened their career with six starts and a lower ERA than Anderson’s 1.95 mark…David Hale pitched to a 1.83 ERA over six starts between 2013-14. • Has never faced Cincinnati. • In five of his six starts this season, faced a team he had never pitched against before...He went 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in those five games, and opponents batted just .147 against him.
Atlanta selected Anderson with the third overall pick in the 2016 draft...He was Atlanta’s highest draft selection since 1991, when the Braves took Mike Kelly second overall. • With his debut earlier this season, Anderson became the 18th first-round pick from the 2016 draft to debut, and just the fourth high schoool first-rounder to do so. • He split the 2019 season between two levels of the Braves minor league system, beginning with Double-A Mississippi before finishing the year with Triple-A Gwinnett. • Combined to go 8-7 with a 3.38 ERA (51 ER/135.2 IP) in 26 starts. • His 172 strikeouts ranked fourth most in all of minor league baseball.
2020 Recap • Started on September 12 vs. Washington, and set career highs in innings (7.0) and strikeouts (9) while holding the Nationals scoreless over 7.0 one-hit innings. • Anderson also allowed one hit over 6.0 innings in his MLB debut...He became just the second pitcher over the last 120 seasons to allow one hit or less in two starts of at least 6.0 innings within his first four career appearances…The only other pitcher to do so was Philadelphia’s Marvin Freeman in 1986. • Anderson’s 7.0 innings against the Nationals were the most by a Braves starter this season and marked the longest outing by a Braves starter since September 20 of last season, when RHP Mike Foltynewicz went 8.0 shutout innings as the Braves clinched the National League East title. • Beat the Yankees in his debut, August 26, and beat Boston in his next start, September 1...Became just the second pitcher since 1920 to beat the Yankees and Red Sox in his first two starts. • Became just the 18th pitcher in baseball’s live-ball (since 1920) to start against both the Yankees and Red Sox in their first two games, with the Angels’ Jason Dickson doing so last in 1996.
Of the 17 starters prior to Anderson to face the Yankees and Red Sox in their first two games since 1920, just one had earned the win in both games. • Cleveland’s Luis Tiant beat the Yankees, 3-0 in his debut on July 19, 1964, before beating the Red Sox, 6-1, on July 24. • Made his major league debut, August 26 vs. NYY, and allowed just one hit and one run over 6.0 innings to earn the win in Game 1 of a doubleheader. • Carried a no-hit bid through 5.1 innings…Per Elias, Anderson’s 5.1 no-hit innings was the longest bid in a debut since Tampa Bay’s Brendan McCay on June 29 of last season, and the longest by any Braves pitcher in his debut since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. • He became just second starter along with Max Fried to win a game for Atlanta this season…The Braves were the last team in the majors to get wins from multiple starters this season.