Max Anderson Stats & Scouting Report

AB	43
AVG	.465
OBP	.631
SLG	.860
HR	4

Full name Maxwell Edward Anderson
Born 02/28/2002 in Kansas City, MO
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Nebraska
Drafted in the 2nd round (45th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2023 (signed for $1,429,650).

View Draft Report

School: Nebraska Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:45/High
Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

Anderson is coming off a terrific spring season for Nebraska, and finished as the top hitter in the Big Ten in a number of categories, with a .401 average, .770 slugging percentage, 1.231 OPS and 101 hits. In total, he slashed .414/.461/.771 with 21 home runs and 20 doubles. He sets up with a slightly closed stance in a crouch and fires his hands to the ball through the zone with more of a level path and plenty of bat speed behind it. There are few righthanded hitters in this year’s draft class that can drive the ball the other way with strength like Anderson, which is a tell for an advanced hitter. He is aggressive at the plate but managed to keep his strikeout-to-walk ratio respectable this spring with 29 strikeouts and 20 walks. On the defensive side, Anderson held down second base for the Huskers and committed just two errors with a fielding percentage of .992. Though there is no standout tool defensively, his glove is reliable and he possesses solid instincts. Some evaluators believe he may end up at first base or corner outfield, where the offensive burden on his profile will be lifted, but he does have above-average power potential and is a below-average runner.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average

Adjusted Grade: 35

Track Record: Anderson was a star at Nebraska who hit .414/.461/.771 with 21 home runs as a junior in 2023. Drafted by the Tigers in the second round that year, his first full season didn’t show the same impact, and he hit a light .270 in the Midwest League in 2024. Anderson worked on improving his agility over the offseason, largely to help his defense, but it also paid off at the plate. He showed improved power as one of the best hitters in the Double-A Eastern League and earned a late promotion to Triple-A Toledo. To cap it off, he hit .447/.609/.809 in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Anderson’s work to improve his range and agility helped significantly. He’s still a below-average defender at second base, but that’s an improvement from the previous year, when scouts often described him as unplayable. He worked at third base in the AFL, but his below-average arm and slow first step are less of a fit at the position. Offensively, Anderson’s approach is unique. He’s a front-foot hitter who relies on his excellent hands to stay back and flick balls when he’s caught out front. It means he’s virtually incapable of pulling quality fastballs in the air, but he has enough bat speed and strength to drive balls out to right and center field, and he can pull offspeed pitches. His excellent contact skills allow his aggressive approach to work. It’s hard to see him getting to more than fringe-average power in the big leagues without swing tweaks. He excels against lefthanders and hit .341/.391/.626 against them in 2025.

The Future: Anderson’s 2025 season showed improvement in almost every way possible, but he’s still facing a tricky path to a regular big league role. He’s a below-average second baseman who doesn’t run well enough to move to the outfield. He makes lefthanders pay as a platoon bat, but there aren’t many regular jobs for second basemen who are on the roster to hit lefties.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40
BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: After being named the Big 10 freshman of the year in 2021, Anderson struggled as a sophomore. He answered any questions about his bat with a dominant junior season. Anderson became the first player to hit 15 home runs in Big 10 conference play. He hit 21 home runs overall and finished eighth in Division I with a .414 batting average.

Scouting Report: Like many recent Tigers’ draftees, Anderson’s best position is in the batter’s box. He has an aggressive approach at the plate, trusts his hands and uses the entire field with a level swing. His power is just as potent going the opposite way as it is when he’s yanking a ball down the line. The well-built Anderson has average hitting potential with above-average power, which gives him a path to being an offense-first second baseman. His glove isn’t as advanced as his bat. Anderson makes the plays on what he gets to and his average arm is accurate, but his range is below-average thanks to a lack of quickness.

The Future: After an impressive stint at Low-A Lakeland, Anderson is ready for High-A West Michigan. He joins a conga line of bat-first, defensively limited second basemen that stretches from West Michigan to Erie to Toledo, all of whom will be trying to hit their way to Detroit.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50

Draft Prospects

School: Nebraska Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:45/High
Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 40. Field: 45. Arm: 50.

Anderson is coming off a terrific spring season for Nebraska, and finished as the top hitter in the Big Ten in a number of categories, with a .401 average, .770 slugging percentage, 1.231 OPS and 101 hits. In total, he slashed .414/.461/.771 with 21 home runs and 20 doubles. He sets up with a slightly closed stance in a crouch and fires his hands to the ball through the zone with more of a level path and plenty of bat speed behind it. There are few righthanded hitters in this year’s draft class that can drive the ball the other way with strength like Anderson, which is a tell for an advanced hitter. He is aggressive at the plate but managed to keep his strikeout-to-walk ratio respectable this spring with 29 strikeouts and 20 walks. On the defensive side, Anderson held down second base for the Huskers and committed just two errors with a fielding percentage of .992. Though there is no standout tool defensively, his glove is reliable and he possesses solid instincts. Some evaluators believe he may end up at first base or corner outfield, where the offensive burden on his profile will be lifted, but he does have above-average power potential and is a below-average runner.

Career Transactions

2B Max Anderson assigned to Scottsdale Scorpions.
2B Max Anderson assigned to Toledo Mud Hens from Erie SeaWolves.
2B Max Anderson assigned to Detroit Tigers.
2B Max Anderson assigned to Erie SeaWolves from West Michigan Whitecaps.
2B Max Anderson assigned to West Michigan Whitecaps.

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