Chase Anderson evolved into complete pitcher, earning opening day assignment for Brewers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chase Anderson throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday, March 8, 2018, in Phoenix.

SAN DIEGO - If Chase Anderson looked like a different pitcher to enemy hitters in 2017, that’s because he was, in many ways.

The Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander added two miles per hour to his fastball (up to 93.1 mph average), no small trick at that stage of his career. Anderson also threw his cutter 13% of the time, more than twice the rate of the previous season. He threw 18% curveballs, the highest rate since his rookie season with Arizona in 2014. Anderson offered changeups only 16% of the time, the lowest mark of his career.

Other than that, everything was the same when Anderson took the mound.

Of those changes in repertoire and scheme, Anderson said, “It’s just trying to make progress and trying to get better, and evolve. I’ve taken the things D.J. (pitching coach Derek Johnson) has given me and tried to get better with them.

“I think the curveball has gotten better. The cutter has been a weapon for me. Extra ‘velo’ (velocity) helps a lot, too. And my change-up is still there. You have more confidence when you go out there because you have more weapons.”

The results were dramatic for Anderson, who put together by far his best season in the majors. In 25 starts, he went 12-4 with a 2.75 earned run average, with 133 strikeouts and only 41 walks in 141 1/3 innings. His home runs allowed dropped from 28 the previous season to 14, and his 1.090 WHIP was a dramatic improvement.

The only hiccup came when Anderson strained his left oblique during an at-bat in a game in Cincinnati in late June. He would spend a frustrating six weeks on the disabled list but didn’t miss a beat upon returning to action, helping the Brewers stay in the playoff race until the penultimate day of the season.

That performance made Anderson an easy choice for manager Craig Counsell as the Brewers’ opening day starter when they open the 2018 season at 3:10 p.m. Thursday against San Diego at Petco Park.

Though past opening day starters experienced mostly adversity down the road, Anderson proudly accepted the assignment and understood the significance.

“I am excited,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to start the season off. I’m looking forward to getting the team off on the right foot. I’m going to go out and pitch to my strengths and try to set the tone. We want to hit the ground running.”

One of the primary themes of the Brewers’ rebuilding process has been continued improvement at the big-league level. Many fans believe players are finished products once they rise from the minors but Counsell says nothing could be further from the truth, and often uses Anderson as Exhibit A.

“With Chase, it’s a credit to him, to D.J. and to the front office as well,” Counsell said. “It’s a great player for our organization that we can kind of hold up as to how we can help players. The player still deserves the most credit by far but we’ve all worked together in trying to figure out what makes him at his best, what pitches are best to throw.

“He was a big-leaguer when we got him; he was a young starting pitcher. He has worked hard to get better. He hasn’t just said, ‘This is all I’ve got; this is my stuff.’ He’s really worked hard at improving on his craft, and getting better.”

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The only player remaining from the three acquired from Arizona in the Jean Segura trade on July 30, 2016 (Aaron Hill and Isan Diaz were later traded), Anderson was an unheralded pitcher who tread water with a 15-13 record and 4.18 ERA in 48 starts with the Diamondbacks. At that point, he was basically a two-pitch pitcher, throwing mostly fastballs and changeups.

The diligent Anderson proved quite receptive to coaching, however, and worked tirelessly with Johnson to re-discover the curveball he flashed earlier in his career. Anderson’s repertoire was expanded to include the cutter, a favorite pitch of Johnson.

Of Anderson’s evolvement into a starter worthy of an opening day assignment, Johnson said, “He has four pitches, and he has just learned to use his fastball more effectively. What I mean by that is he uses it in the top of the (strike) zone or above it, a little bit more than when he first got here. He can sink it, too, and that helps in certain situations.

“Sometimes, pitchers kind of get stuck (pitching) one way or the other. They’ve had different pitches, or done different things, and gotten away from them. Then, they come back to them.

"Helping them do that is why you coach. You’re certainly not trying to do it for yourself. You get a lot of satisfaction in seeing players perform and get better.”

The Brewers were encouraged enough by Anderson’s progress to offer him a two-year contract extension in late October, with club options for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The deal guarantees Anderson $11.75 million and could max out at $30 million, including incentives.

It was perfect timing for both sides to do a deal that provides security for Anderson and his family, including wife Anna and young son Hunter, who will be on hand Thursday to watch Chase's first opening day start.

“I don’t think anybody is (a finished product),” said Anderson, who actually began to turn the corner near the end of the 2016 season (1.98 ERA in five September outings).

“They challenged me with certain things to get better and help this team get back to where we want to be, in the postseason. I took those to heart and worked on it, and we’re here now. I’m thankful I was able to take those things and implement them.

“We’re kind of in a sweet spot right now. We got better a lot faster than people expected. I think good things are going to happen for us. It’s just been fun to be a part of the process, and hopefully build on what we have.”