Max Anderson, sleeper prospect in Tigers' stacked system, shining in Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Before Nebraska baseball was set to open its 2025 season live on MLB Network this past February in the Desert Invitational, head coach Will Bolt was emphatic during a pregame meeting that involved the discussion of former Huskers who have made an impact in pro ball.

“You can’t forget about Max Anderson," he said.

One could understand if he’s flown a little under the radar. During college, Anderson was teammates with Astros 2023 first-round pick Brice Matthews (MLB No. 93), Brewers ‘23 second-rounder Mike Boeve and Mariners 2024 fourth-rounder Josh Caron. In the Tigers’ system, their quartet of Top 100 position players – Kevin McGonigle (MLB No. 2), Max Clark (MLB No. 8), Josue Briceño (MLB No. 33), Bryce Rainer (MLB No. 37) – understandably dominates the conversation.

That sentiment has carried over to the Arizona Fall League with Anderson, 23, sharing an infield with McGonigle and playing alongside some of the sport’s brightest prospects from other organizations. But after a regular season in which he ascended to the No. 9 spot on the Tigers’ Top 30 Prospects list, the right-handed-hitting infielder has put himself on the doorstep of Comerica Park with a torrid run in the desert.

Through nearly four full weeks of AFL action, Anderson leads the prospect-packed circuit in batting average (.486) and on-base percentage (.648), and ranks second in home runs (four), OPS (1.567) and ISO (.432).

Three years ago, the Tigers sent Colt Keith to the Fall League with the objective to slug his way into consideration at the big league level - but also to help him find a defensive home. Anderson is seeking something similar. He made 21 appearances at the hot corner – a spot he had never appeared professionally – between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo during the regular season, and he has made each of his first seven defensive starts there with Scottsdale.

Being in an unfamiliar spot defensively certainly hasn’t stunted the offensive production. For Anderson, that he’s found a groove after a second full year makes all the sense in the world to him. He collected 131 hits in 121 games during his debut season for West Michigan in 2024, but produced only a pedestrian .321 on-base percentage and a .713 OPS. He entered ‘25 as a bat-first prospect that needed to tap into that reputation with an increased frequency.

“The more you play, the more you're gonna get used to things and just kind of continue [to get better],” said Anderson. “That first year, it's tough – you gotta get through that year and then you kind of figure out how things are and how to approach things. I think it's truly just playing as much baseball as you can.”

Part of the nature of the beast of being in a system as competitive and stacked with talent as Detroit’s is that there’s perpetually pressure to perform. Even beyond the raw statistics, there were things that Anderson would have to improve upon in his second full pro year – his 55.4 percent ground-ball rate at Double-A among them. He dropped that mark by more than 10 percent during his time with Erie in ‘25 (44.8 percent).

“As simple as it sounds, really just trying to hit the bottom of the ball,” said Anderson. “Nothing crazy, no swing changes or anything, just trying to get under it, as simple as it sounds – it's almost more of a mentality than a swing change.”

That mentality change led to a breakout campaign. Anderson posted a 146 wRC+ in his time with Erie, slashing .306/.358/.499 in 90 games. The numbers took a step back in his first taste of Triple-A, but he showed a propensity to still get to some extra-base pop, with six doubles and five homers in 32 games. All told, he finished the year with 19 homers and 88 RBIs while hitting .296 with an .832 OPS.

Sooner rather than later, Detroit is going to face an infield conundrum. McGonigle is banging on the big league door, while No. 6 prospect Hao-Yu Lee spent the entirety of '25 at Toledo, splitting time between the keystone and the hot corner. Factor in Keith and Jace Jung – plus potentially free agent second baseman Gleyber Torres – and there are ample bats for just a few spots.

But spend a few minutes around Anderson and McGonigle and you’d never know they were competing for the same spot on the diamond at the game’s highest level. Former roommates, the duo – who were selected just eight picks apart during the 2023 Draft (No. 37 overall for McGonigle, No. 45 for Anderson) – are constantly joking around with one another and keeping things light.

“We came in [to pro ball] together, and he's awesome, fun to be around, great baseball player,” said Anderson of McGonigle. “He’s a little younger than me, so he keeps me on my toes.”

“I look up to him,” said McGonigle. “He helps me out with a lot of things off the field and on the field. When it comes to third base, whatever he says, I listen. He's always there for me and I look forward to keep playing baseball with him.”

Anderson has been a sponge during his time in the Fall League. He’s aware of the talent that comes from the circuit on a yearly basis and how quickly a hitter can go from dominating in October and November to playing a key role in the big leagues just a few months later.

“You learn things and you're playing with guys that are the best in the world here, and they're gonna be the best players in the world,” said Anderson. “So being able to learn and just watch those guys play, it's pretty awesome and can help you out a lot.”