Tyler Anderson represents an appealing, albeit unexciting, option to eat innings in the Yankees rotation
Man makes plans, and God laughs. The Yankees find themselves in the common yet somewhat uncomfortable situation of planning for the rotation they might have, the one they could have, and the one they might be forced to have. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are due to return relatively early in the 2026 campaign, but the exact timeline is uncertain. In the search for quality innings, but ones that won’t create too big a logjam once everyone is back, the Yankees could look to Tyler Anderson as a serviceable option after his disappointing three-year tenure with the Angels.
2025 Statistics: 26 games started, 136.1 IP, 2-8, 4.56 ERA (94 ERA+), 5.60 FIP, 5.41 xFIP, 17.4% K%, 9.5% BB%, 1.41 WHIP, 0.1 fWAR
2026 FanGraphs Depths Charts Projections: 26 games started, 144 IP, 8-10, 4.88 ERA, 5.02 FIP, 17.2% K%, 8.9% BB%, 1.46 WHIP, 0.6 fWAR
Doing the old Aaron Nola bit of alternating really good seasons with terrible ones, Anderson has found himself in the All-Star game in two of the last four campaigns, once representing the Dodgers and, more recently, the Angels in 2024. Coming off an atrocious 2025 season, one that saw him put up a 5.60 FIP, Anderson wouldn’t command a prohibitive contract for a team still looking to spend big elsewhere.
One of the quirks of Anderson’s profile is that, as a changeup-heavy pitcher, Anderson has reverse splits, nearly shelving that pitch against same-handed batters and suffering without a great plan of attack. Last season, those issues reached a whole new level, with left-handers posting a .988 OPS against him. If we’re comparing Anderson to a pitcher like Chris Bassitt, whose splits generate some concern about his outlook at Yankee Stadium, some of those same conversations must be had regarding Anderson. Still, at this point in the game, the market is not exactly flush with options, and there’s a downside with most, if not every, target.
Among the things working in Anderson’s favor, availability is one of them, as we’re looking at a pitcher who hasn’t missed significant time since 2019. Anderson has averaged roughly 28 starts a year across the last five seasons. The second point is more of a speculative notion, but if we assume his production will fall reasonably in line with projections, Anderson could be used in a Ryan Yarbrough-esque role with a little more quality than the aforementioned Yarbrough, a member of the Yankees’ bullpen, once Rodón and Cole are healthy and ready to go.
If we try to figure out what has gone wrong with Anderson since leaving the Dodgers, both the walk rate and HR/9 regressed considerably following that move. Anderson wasn’t even striking out many hitters as a Dodger (19.5%), but limiting free passes and long balls at outstanding rates put him in a position to succeed. The Angels aren’t exactly known for their prowess working with pitchers—the Yankees could be an appealing landing spot for Anderson.
Not a high-velocity arm by any means, that aspect of Anderson’s game might be overlooked, but his diminishing velocity is also a concern. The 89.4 mph Anderson averaged on his fastball was the lowest mark of his career, gradually decreasing from the 90.7 mph mark he averaged with the Dodgers back in 2022. Likely to sign a one-year deal, though, Anderson won’t represent much of a risk for a team that doesn’t want to put too much pressure on its young arms.
Category: General Sports
