Former SF Giants pitcher Tyler Anderson named Gold Glove finalist
Unsurprisingly, no player on the SF Giants will win a Gold Glove this year. Rawlings revealed the three finalists for every position in the National and American League, and no Giants were nominated. With that said, former Giants starting pitcher Tyler Anderson is a finalist to win a Gold Glove.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Anderson throws a pitch against the SF Giants.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Anderson was a first-round pick by the Colorado Rockies back in 2011, making his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2016. While Anderson showed promise early in his career, they designated him for assignment after an injury-derailed 2019 season and the Giants claimed him off waivers.
Anderson reignited his career in the shortened 2020 season with the Giants. In 13 appearances (11 starts), Anderson posted a 4.37 ERA in 59.2 innings pitched with 41 strikeouts and 25 walks. However, ERA estimators suggested Anderson might have benefitted from a bit of good luck in San Francisco, with his xERA (4.80) and xFIP (5.93) more than half a run higher than his ERA (although his 4.36 FIP was right in line with his ERA).
Possibly motivated by those numbers, the Giants opted to non-tender Anderson following the season and made him a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a solid member of the starting rotation before a midseason trade to the Seattle Mariners.
Back on the free-agent market last offseason, Anderson signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Dodgers. While the deal seemed perplexing at first, the signing proved to be one of the shrewdest moves by any team in free agency.
Anderson was selected to his first All-Star Game this season and recorded a 2.57 ERA in 178.2 innings pitched (30 appearances) with 138 strikeouts and 34 walks. He also was excellent in his lone postseason outing, striking out six over five shutout innings.
Tyler Anderson has always been a standout defender on the mound, consistently showing off his above-average athleticism. After a career year in Los Angeles, the former SF Giants starter could be on the cusp of winning the first Gold Glove of his career.
