Tim Anderson sparks White Sox offense from leadoff spot

Tim Anderson

I was skeptical when the White Sox called up shortstop Tim Anderson from Triple-A Charlotte last week.

Is Anderson really ready for the big leagues, or were the Sox just rushing him up to try to provide a spark for a struggling team?

Well, if the Sox were looking for a spark, they got one from Anderson in this past series against the Detroit Tigers. Manager Robin Ventura moved Anderson into the leadoff spot, and he responded by going 6 for 16 with 10 total bases and four runs scored in the three-game set.

Anderson was 3 for 5 with a triple and three runs scored Wednesday, as the Sox rallied for a 5-3 win over the Tigers and helped ace Chris Sale improve his record to 11-2.

With Anderson's promotion, Adam Eaton has been dropped from the leadoff spot to the No. 2 hole. Eaton's results also took a turn for the better against the Tigers. He went 8 for 14 with a double, a triple, four runs scored in three RBIs in the series.

By way of comparison, Eaton had been 9 for 60 (.150 average) hitting leadoff in his previous 16 games.

The Sox offense plated 23 runs in the series, largely because Anderson and Eaton were both consistently getting on base during the three games. The South Siders won two out of three, taking their first series from a division foe since they swept the last-place Minnesota Twins from May 6 to 8.

Through his first six games, Anderson is 8 for 25 (.320 average) with five runs scored. He has yet to draw his first walk, but he has four extra-base hits (3 doubles, 1 triple) and has only struck out four times.

All the usual caveats about small sample sizes apply, but the Sox have to be encouraged by what they've seen from their top prospect during his first week in the major leagues.