Braves: Ian Anderson Needs Strong Finish for NL Rookie of Year
As the Atlanta Braves wait for the return of Ian Anderson to the starting rotation, his chances at NL Rookie of the Year also hang in the balance.
Obviously, winning NL Rookie of the Year is secondary to the Atlanta Braves getting back a healthy Ian Anderson to the starting rotation.
But as we get closer to the end of the year fans like myself can’t help but start to consider which Braves might have a chance at one of the big end-of-season awards.
I wrote the other week that Freddie Freeman could be working his way back into the NL MVP conversation.
Anderson also has a chance at taking home some hardware, but it all depends on when he comes back and how healthy/effective he’ll be.
He’s scheduled to make his second rehab start on Wednesday and is scheduled to make one more rehab start before being recalled.
We could be looking at August 22 before Ian Anderson is reinstated. That gives him maybe eight or nine more starts to improve his NL Rooke of the Year chances.
Braves Ian Anderson — the numbers
Going back to 2020, Anderson posted a 1.95 ERA in 32.1 innings with 41 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.082. That was good enough to finish seventh in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.
He was even better in the postseason posting a 0.96 ERA in 4 starts with 24 strikeouts in 18.2 innings with a WHIP of 1.125.
Even the most optimistic Braves fan knew there had to be some regression from those numbers.
But he looked just as strong to start 2021 with a 2.48 ERA in April. Since then, it’s been more up-and-down for Anderson.
He had a 4.15 ERA in May, 3.71 in June, and 4.40 in July before hitting the IL with shoulder inflammation.
Overall he has a 3.56 ERA in 18 starts with 98 strikeouts in 96 innings and a 1.250 WHIP.
Jonathan Mayo has him ranked as the 10th best rookie in MLB this year right now.
National League players Trevor Rogers and Jonathan India rank first and second on that list, so Anderson certainly has some work to do.
Rogers has been great for the Marlins this year with a 2.45 ERA in 110 innings with 129 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.127.
India is hitting .280 for the Reds with 13 home runs and an OPS+ of 118.
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Not only do the Braves need a strong finish from Anderson to try and reach the playoffs, but it would also go a long way in helping his personal push for the NL Rookie of the Year award.