Tyler Anderson is starting to warm up to the Los Angeles Angels, his new team.
He signed a three-year deal worth $40 million, parlaying a 2.57-ERA season in 178.1 innings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022.
There are several positives with his decision to move.
One, he is getting a pretty nice payday, much more than the average MLB player gets.
Two, he is getting job security, as evidenced by the three-year commitment.
And three…
“Tyler Anderson on getting to play with Shohei Ohtani next season: ‘I’m really just glad I don’t have to face him anymore,’” Angels reporter Sarah Valenzuela tweeted.
Tyler Anderson on getting to play with Shohei Ohtani next season: “I’m really just glad I don’t have to face him anymore.”
— Sarah Valenzuela (@Sarah_IsabelVee) November 17, 2022
He doesn’t have to face Ohtani anymore!
Instead, the left-hander will be Ohtani’s teammate and will get to know him and learn from him.
That’s a fantastic tradeoff.
Anderson was magnificent in 2022, with that 2.57 ERA in 178.1 innings.
Two Different Pitchers Who Can Contribute In The Same Rotation
Ohtani, however, was even better.
The two-way star covered 166 frames of a 2.33 ERA.
His 219 strikeouts, however, were far more than Anderson’s 138.
They have different styles: one is a finesse control and command artist who thrives on hitting his spots, while the other is an overpowering strikeout machine with elite fastball velocity and a disgusting splitter.
We don’t have to tell you who is who.
Nevertheless, Anderson was really strong in 2022 and showed he deserved a nice, long-term contract.
He is no Ohtani, but he doesn’t have to be to make his signing a worthwhile one.
He can thrive with his 90 mph fastball and plus command.
The Angels need him to, if they are going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
In fact, they are counting on him.
