Cody Anderson

Anderson started the season at Double-A Akron (1.02 WHIP, 6.2 K/9 in 10 starts) before a quick three-start audition at Triple-A (1.15 WHIP, 8.4 K/9) landed him a spot in the Indians rotation for the final three months of the season. Anderson was effective despite a low K-rate in his first four starts, then got pounded for four starts before hitting the DL with a strained oblique. He did not allow more than two runs in any of his seven starts to close the season. His final five starts came against the Tigers and Twins twice and the White Sox once and he faced off against the Rays twice in his four-start stretch at the start, so he certainly benefited from a soft schedule. Anderson won the No. 4 starter spot in camp, thanks to increased fastball velocity that saw him sitting at 95-97 mph, up from an average velocity of 92.1 mph last season. With a greatly improved fastball and the tutelage of pitching coach Mickey Callaway, Anderson is a primed breakout candidate in 2016.

The transition from High-A to Double-A has been a rocky one for Anderson. He dominated the competition in the Carolina League in 2013, posting a 2.34 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 112:31 K:BB over 123.1 innings, but his ERA more than doubled with the move up in 2014 (5.44 ERA over 125.2 innings). Further, his strikeout rate dropped by more than two per nine innings, going from 8.2 K/9 with Carolina to 5.8 K/9 last season, and he gave up more home runs (17) than he did in the previous two years combined (16). Lefties crushed him to the tune of a .345 average and 10 homers, and the right-hander was even worse after the All-Star break, going 0-3 with a 7.67 ERA and .299 BAA in six second-half starts. Despite the massive step back, the Indians were still high enough on Anderson to add him to their 40-man ahead of the Rule 5 roster deadline, suggesting they have plans for him to contribute in the next year or two. It seems entirely possible that the team will move him to the bullpen to expedite his arrival.

Anderson began to open some eyes with his performance at High-A Carolina before earning a late-season promotion to Double-A Akron. The 6-foot-4 righty features mid-90s heater and a slider to go along with the occasional curveball and changeup. He closed out games in his junior college career, so he's still working on refining his secondary offerings. As long as the Indians continue to develop Anderson as a starter in the minors, he projects as a mid-rotation arm if he proves capable of handling the jump to Double-A.