Ian Anderson Notes - September 24
Ian Anderson makes his sixth career appearance with tonight’s start. • Is 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. • For the first time in his career, pitches against an opponent for a second time. • Faced Miami on September 7 and went a career-low 3.0 innings, allowing two hits and two runs (one earned) while matching walks and strikeouts with four apiece. • Lost his last start, September 19 at New York-NL, for the first defeat of his career... Allowed four hits, four walks and three runs over 4.2 innings, fanning eight...The Mets beat the Braves, 7-2. • Won each of the first three decisions of his career, going 3-0 and allowing just four earned runs in 22.0 innings (1.64 ERA) over four starts.
Anderson’s three-game winning streak to open his career is the longest by a Braves starter since 2015, when Williams Perez opened his career with four straight wins. • Became the first Braves rookie to start his career with wins in each of his first two starts since Kyle Davies did so in 2005...Since the club moved to Atlanta in 1966, no Braves pitcher has opened their career by winning three straight starts.
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 • Last 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. • Debuted against the New York Yankees on August 26 and held them to one run over 6.0 innings to earn the win. • Prior to Anderson, 11 pitchers had made their debuts as a starter against the Yankees since 2011, with the Yankees going 10-1 in those contests and those starters going 1-7 with a 5.09 ERA (33 ER/58.1IP).