Texas bound: Anderson earns 2nd All-Star nod after '24 turnaround

CHICAGO -- After having one of the worst seasons of his career that saw him get a brief demotion to the bullpen last year, Angels lefty Tyler Anderson's goal this season was simply to be more consistent and find ways to keep his team in the game.

But Anderson has far surpassed those modest expectations, as he’s easily been the club’s best starter and was honored by being named an All-Star for the second time in his career on Sunday. Anderson, 34, has posted a 2.81 ERA in 112 innings over 18 starts after he had a 5.43 ERA in 141 innings over 25 starts and two relief appearances last year. He’s pitched much more like he did with the Dodgers in 2022, when he registered a 2.57 ERA in 178 2/3 innings to earn his first All-Star nod. This year, the game is on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Texas.

“It's a cool honor,” Anderson said. “You get to go represent our team. There's a lot of guys on this team that are really good players and deserving. But just to represent the Angels for this game, it's an honor.”

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The Angels held a special pregame ceremony in the clubhouse before the game with third-base coach Eric Young Sr. announcing to the players that Anderson was the club’s All-Star selection. Anderson appreciated the gesture but dryly said it was a little too much for him.

“It was fun,” Anderson said. “But I don't like that stuff. It's awkward. People say nice things about you. And it just makes me uncomfortable. So I'm glad that's over.”

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Angels manager Ron Washington was happy to hear Anderson was named an All-Star and believed infielder Luis Rengifo would’ve been on the team if he wasn’t placed on the IL on Friday with right wrist inflammation. Anderson cemented his case with his best start of the season on Saturday, striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings against the Cubs.

“He’s our All-Star,” Washington said. “He’s been great for us all year. He’s been showing these young pitchers how to deal with adversity, and in this game there’s a lot of adversity. But yesterday, that was a tremendous performance.”

General manager Perry Minasian, who signed Anderson to a three-year deal worth $39 million before last season, has also been impressed by Anderson this year. Minasian will have to weigh trade offers for Anderson ahead of the Trade Deadline, as the lefty has plenty of value because he’s under control next year at a reasonable salary. But for now, Minasian was just excited for Anderson to get the nod.

“He's had an outstanding year,” Minasian said. “He's been great for us on and off the field. As impactful on the field as he's been in the locker room with some of the younger arms we have. So he had a great first half and it's a well-deserved All-Star appearance.”

Anderson, who utilizes some deception in his delivery, has credited changing his body position for his turnaround this year, but also believes a shift in mentality has helped him. The nine-year veteran has had share of ups and downs but leaned on his experience to get back on track.

“Changing my routine and getting my body in a better position than I was last year, I've said that a lot,” Anderson said. “And then just trying to get back to competing. I feel like last year I kind of got away from that and I was trying to change some things and worried about a lot of the wrong stuff. So this year, just trusting what I know and sticking with that.”

Anderson said he enjoyed his first All-Star Game experience in 2022 but noted it was played at Dodger Stadium while he was playing with the Dodgers, so this time he’ll get the experience of traveling to the game with his family. Anderson, whose fastball sits in the low 90s, is a cerebral pitcher and has a passion for baseball, so he views the experience as a treat.

“Honestly, it's just so much fun because it's a way to talk to guys,” Anderson said. “For me, I really like pitching and generally love the game of baseball. So you get to see and talk to a lot of guys and just try to learn some stuff from them. See how they go about their business, what the routines are like, what their thoughts are, and then just see a lot of really good players and good baseball. It’s just a fun experience.”