SoCal ProCase Spotlight: RHP Caleb Anderson

FULLERTON, CALIF. - The 2020 SoCal ProCase served as a bit of a coming out party of sorts for Caleb Anderson, the rising senior from Paloma Valley High School committed to Cal State Fullerton. While many scouts most certainly were aware of him prior to the event, there were several in attendance who got their first glimpse of the righty. With 67 representatives from 22 MLB Organizations in attendance, including numerous crosscheckers and some scouting directors, Caleb Anderson certainly made the most of his opportunity.

After seeing Anderson shut down opponents during the PBR Tournaments West Coast Championships last summer it was obvious he had talent and the ability to get the job done on the mound. When he showed up to the Preseason All-State event he was thicker, stronger, and had added significantly more velocity working upper 80’s touching 90 MPH regularly after sitting 83-84 MPH the previous summer. Anderson’s frame still has ample room to add strength and mass which only adds to his projection. 

He’s a high strike percentage guy according to Trackman data provided at the ProCase. His fastball works all quadrants of the zone while the slider is a swing-and-miss pitch that he used as a put away pitch in a couple of his strikeouts. The changeup works and is effective now given the slot and release point being almost identical to the fastball. 

Anderson oozes projection with his 6-foot-4 frame that is long and lean with wiry strength throughout. However it’s his confidence and trust in his pitches and ability to execute them that make all the difference for Anderson. The velocity almost certainly will pick up with continued physical development, but the mental game required to be a starting pitcher at the next level is something that he has already. 

THE REPORT: 

Body: 6-foot-4, 180-pounds. Athletic build with whippy, athletic actions. Strength gains will undoubtedly lead to a velo increase. Present athleticism paired with strength gains will aide in his durability moving forward. 

Mechanics: Right-handed pitcher. Consistent high 3/4 slot. Starts with and keeps hands near the belt when starting the arm swing. Stays balanced on the mound with weight on back leg before driving down the mound. Consistent landing spot and release with a significant front leg lift. Does a very good job of engaging the lower half in his delivery. Head stays still through release. 

Fastball: Average velocity was 88.3 MPH with a max of 89.9 MPH showing little variance in velocities as his outing went on. Spin rate average of 2286 RMP with a peak of 2359 RPM. Spin rate is slightly higher than the 2019 MLB average of 2266 RPM. Induced vertical break of 12.4” shows that his fastball has slight ride while his induced horizontal movement of 13.1” shows his fastball has significant run. These two metrics show what the eyes see, Anderson generates lots of weak contact with the fastball with most balls hit on the ground. 

Slider: Velocity averaged 75.6 MPH with a peak of 76.9 MPH. Spin rate averaged 2410 RPM with a peak of 2609 RPM. Spin rate average is on par with the 2019 MLB average of 2414 RPM. Induced vertical break of -1.9” and induced horizontal movement of -18.4” shows once again that his slide has lots of run with late sinking action.

Change: Velocity averaged 79.3 MPH with a peak of 80.6 MPH. Spin rate averaged 1472 RPM with a peak of 1580 RPM. Spin rate is below the 2019 MLB average of 1777 RPM. Induced vertical break of 9.5” (21st percentile) and induced horizontal movement average 11.4 (79th percentile). These two metrics confirm what the eyes see that Anderson’s changeup has slight sink but significant run.