Is Brian Anderson the Future Cornerstone Player for the Miami Marlins?

It does not matter where Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly places Brian Anderson in the field. The rookie continues to deliver at the plate and in the field.

The Miami Marlins former third-round draft pick out of Arkansas in 2014 is showing why he was fast-tracked to the Major Leagues. Brian Anderson has shown he can handle pitching on various levels in the minor leagues and has now shown he can handle himself against the best pitchers on the top level.

"Per a story from the Associated Press that appears on foxsports.com, Anderson began the week batting .282 with eight home runs and a team-high 49 RBIs. It’s increasingly clear he’ll be one of Derek Jeter’s rebuilding blocks, but it’s uncertain where Anderson will play."

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It does not seem to matter whether he is at the hot corner at third, or in the outfield, he has become a solid “plug and play” star in the making for this organization.

Anderson has been a solid defensive player in the outfield, with a strong arm and has continued a steady pace at the plate. The Marlins hope this continues through the end of the season as he has become a potential Rookie of the Year Candidate.

“I just try to stay as even keel as possible,” says Anderson, who at 25-years-old spent time at Double-A Jacksonville, Triple-A New Orleans and on the Marlins roster last season.

With the late-season call-up last season, Anderson has put together a resume that shows he could potentially become a building block of the team’s rebuilding project. He has given Mattingly reason to praise his performance this season.

"“This guy is solid,” Don Mattingly says. “He had a heck of a first half. We’ll see what happens here the second half.”"

Anderson should eventually go back to third base, replacing veteran Martin Prado. There was speculation the rookie would start the season at third, even if Prado, who started the season on the disabled list, wasn’t injured. Prado has returned with a focus on staying healthy but has gushed about the heir apparent to his spot in the lineup.

"“He has that old-school mentality, which is to hang around and ask questions and talk about baseball,” Prado says. “It’s rare in this generation to see guys with that mentality at that stage. In the years to come, he’s going to be a really solid player.”"

For the season, Anderson is second on the team in hits (110), leads the team with 23 doubles and also has a club-leading 49 RBI. It’s a sign of things to come. He is taking this experience with the Marlins one day at a time.

Next: Is Marlins Pitcher Dan Straily on the Trading Block?

"“I’m just trying to keep healthy and stay consistent and see what I can do,” he says. “That’s something I pride myself in — to keep myself on the field as much as possible to help the team any way I can.”"

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