Max Anderson makes a name for himself in the desert. The Arizona Fall League’s hottest hitter is hitting a stand-up-and-take mark of .488/.650/.902 over 60 plate appearances with the Scottsdale Scorpions. Hitter-friendly circuit? Absolutely, but Anderson’s numbers are impressive nonetheless. The Detroit Tigers prospect has scorched the baseball games.
His regular season numbers suggest his AFL output is not entirely surprising. Playing against a higher level of competition, the 23-year-old infielder left the yard 19 times while posting a 135 wRC+ between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo. The former Cornhusker, a .350/.400/.604 hitter at the University of Nebraska, has posted a 120 wRC+ since being drafted 45th overall by Detroit in 2023.
Less impressive is the youngster’s 6.7% running rate as a professional. As Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan wrote in March, “I love swinging, it’s no secret,” is both a favorite old José Abreu quote and Anderson’s business ethos.” In terms of aggressiveness, that hasn’t really changed.
Our lead prospect analyst has seen a lot of him in the AFL, and he provided an updated report on the 40+ FV prospect earlier this week.
“Anderson is still a bit chase-prone for my taste, but it may be the only blemish on his passing ability,” Longenhagen told me. “He’s much more on time to do damage to the side than he was a year ago. He now has a much more balanced-looking spray map than in 2024.” [and is] better at pulling hanging breakers. It has made him a more dangerous hitter overall, despite his tendency to come at everything.”
Anderson’s approach was the first topic I brought up when I spoke with him in Arizona a few weeks ago. I was particularly interested in what the coaches and coordinators of the organization emphasized to him.
“More than anything they tell me to keep doing what I’m doing,” said Anderson, whose 6.5% walk rate between Erie and Toledo was accompanied by a 15.8% strikeout rate and a .296/.350/.478 slash line. “In a perfect world I would run more, but you also don’t want to risk ruining the approach that got you to this point in your career. So it’s kind of sticking with what I’ve done while improving what I can. If something works, don’t change too much.”
According to Anderson, the Tigers are not heavy-handed when it comes to batting instruction; Kevin McGonigle shared similar thoughts in a recent Talks Hitting interview. Moreover, the organization does not use a one-size-fits-all approach.
“They’re great at presenting different things to different guys,” he explained. “They know they have a lot of different hitters, and that’s one of the things that makes their development process so good. Instead of trying to mold one particular type of hitter, they work with everyone to make them the best hitter they can be.”
Anderson is well aware that better plate discipline would be in his best interest. He tacitly admitted as much when I asked him what types of questions he typically approaches his coaches and coordinators with.
“Just kind of what they see when I’m at the plate and things that can make me better,” Anderson said. “Maybe that’s a better two-strike chase rate, or getting a few more walks on three-ball counts. How do I tame being aggressive without making myself too passive? How do I balance that? Again, I believe in sticking with what makes you good — not going beyond it — but at the same time improving where you can.”
When asked about his relatively modest numbers (including a 106 wRC+ and a 6.4% walk rate) with Western Michigan in 2024, Anderson admitted he’s been a little too aggressive at times, trying to force the issue. He realized that Detroit’s High-A affiliate plays its home games in a pitcher-friendly park and came to understand that “in the big picture, sticking to the process will work for you.”
As for the success he had against a higher level of competition this season, Anderson said he basically trusted his abilities and strived to become the hitter he has always been. He also said he felt relaxed and comfortable playing with teammates who are also friends, focusing more on winning than on individual performance.
That brings us to his defensive game, which is currently a bigger question mark for Anderson than his tendency to be overaggressive in the batter’s box. The Kansas City native played both second and third base at Nebraska, and he has done the same in pro ball. He’s stationed exclusively at the hot corner in Arizona, where Longenhagen’s appearance has him pondering the likelihood that the 6-foot-4, 210-pound right-handed hitter will eventually become a left fielder.
Regardless of where he ends up position-wise, Anderson’s bat promises to take him to the big leagues, and that could happen as early as next season.
“There’s enough sense of hitting and power – Anderson is incredibly strong for his size – to feel good that he’s hitting enough to play an integral role. [for the Tigers]Longenhagen opined. “He is on track to compete for playing time in Detroit in late 2026 and into 2027.”
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