Millard West alumnus and former Nebraska baseball player Max Anderson was with some minor league teammates when he received a call from Baseball America.
The call was to let the infielder know that he’d been named the Detroit Tigers Minor League Baseball Player of the Year.
“I was happy, full of joy, and then kind of just being able to share that moment with some of your friends is pretty cool,” Anderson told Hurrdat Sports. “Being able to just be recognized for that award is a pretty cool accomplishment, and just kind of makes you feel good.”
The Detroit Tigers drafted Anderson in the second round with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.
From there, he worked his way up. He spent time in Single A before joining the Toledo Mud Hens’ Triple-A team in May. His efforts in both programs earned him the Tigers’ minor league player of the year award, which was established in 2023. The accolade is given to players that show consistency, growth and production throughout the season.
“It’s very special that people kind of see your season and are appreciative of what you’ve done and the work that you put in,” Anderson said. “It’s a pretty cool award. It’s a long season out there, so it’s a grind, and to be able to put together a season kind of just throughout the whole year, and not just a specific time I think is very important and pretty cool for me.”
Anderson’s been consistent all season.
Offensively, he recorded 15 home runs in Triple A. He also led Toledo in hits (126), batting average (.302), on-base percentage (.386), and on-base plus slugging percentage (.863). He was also second on the team in runs scored with 66 and third in RBIs with 57.
Defensively, he had a .988 fielding percentage at second base and a .943 fielding percentage at third base. He only committed seven total errors over 866.2 innings played. Anderson made 316 of 323 possible plays.
He said being himself, and trusting his offseason training helped him elevate his game.
“I think there’s definitely a sense where some people try and do things that they aren’t, or try and get away from things that made them good and made them get to the spot they were in,” Anderson said. “So I think just continuing to improve on the things that you’re good at, and just remembering who you are I think is a very overlooked and important thing in today’s game that maybe some people aren’t thinking about.”
Anderson said he worked on his speed and agility during last offseason to help him this year. That work earned him a spot in the MLB Futures All-Star Game in July.
“To be able to go to the (Philadelphia) Phillies’ stadium in Philadelphia, and playing alongside a bunch of those highly-touted prospects is a really cool thing,” Anderson said. “To be named to that, the organization thinks pretty highly of you at that point, so it was very cool.”
Anderson said he enjoyed seeing the other athletes as well.
“I think it was really cool to learn some different things that guys do throughout their day-to-day lives,” Anderson said. “And then also it was kind of just a good refresher on why you play baseball. Everybody was just having a good time and playing for the love of the game.”
Anderson has enjoyed the game since he was little. He credits his father and older brother for discovering his love of sports, a love that kept him close to home for college and drives him now in the pros.
He said it means a lot to represent the Cornhusker state professionally now.
“I definitely wear the N a bunch around my teams now,” Anderson said. “If you ask my teammates that I’ve played with in pro baseball, they can definitely tell you where I went to college, so I love Nebraska, and that love will never go away.”
During his time with the Huskers, Anderson earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2021, first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and a second-team All-America nod from several outlets. He also concluded his Nebraska career fourth in program history with 395 total bases, eighth with 38 home runs, 18th with 229 hits and 20th in batting average at .351.
Nebraska Max Anderson (4) celebrates a run against Northwestern during a college baseball game Friday, April 14, 2023, Lincoln, Neb. Photo by John S. Peterson.
In his final year with the Big Red, Anderson hit .414 at the plate with 20 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs, 70 RBIs and 51 runs scored.
He said it meant a lot wearing Nebraska across his chest and playing for his favorite team.
“It kind of gives you a little extra boost when you’re playing, kind of just to realize the jersey that you’re wearing and how much it meant to you growing up,” Anderson said. “Now that you’re living that dream out, it’s kind of surreal. So it’s a very cool thing, and I think it truly does give a lot of those homegrown guys a little extra edge that they have to play the game that they love for the team that they love.”
The Millard West product has also had many people watching from afar. This includes his high school coach, Steve Frey, who was the Wildcats’ head coach throughout Anderson’s prep career. Frey said he’s proud of all Anderson’s accomplished.
“What a lot of people who don’t know him don’t realize about him is he’s just such a great kid, down to earth, great family,” Frey said. “He’s a hard worker, and he’s just one of those kids who just loves baseball.”
As for Frey’s hopes for Anderson’s future, he’d like to see the latter get to every professional baseball player’s dream spot.
“We see him at the Triple-A level, but I would love to see him just really make it to the next level and be a consistent, everyday baseball player for the Tigers, or wherever he ends up someday,” Frey said. “Just being a guy who could maybe play third, second, first, kind of that all-around player, and be able to hopefully stay right around that .300 batting average.”
Anderson will try to work his way up to the majors next season while encouraging younger baseball players to have fun as they wait for their turn.
“When you’re 5 or 6 and you’re starting sports, you’re just going out there to play with your buddies,” Anderson said. “I think it’s definitely going to change when you grow up, but the more you can keep it just playing baseball with your buddies and just having a good time, I think, is only going to help out you and everybody around you. It’s going to make you play a lot looser and just have fun playing a sport, no matter the level you’re at.”
