Sox Prospect Lars Anderson Making Best of Spring Training

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Photo by George Campbell

Highly touted Red Sox prospect Lars Anderson is making the best of Spring Training this year in Ft Myers. MLB.com listed him as one of baseball’s top 25 prospects last year, so he has a lot to live up to.

Lars has appeared in five of the Sox first seven pre-season games this spring, but has yet to get his first hit, despite scoring three runs. He is remaining focused on his goals for the year.

“I really want to try to stay present in the moment of where I am on the baseball field,” Anderson remarked, “and a great teammate, someone the guys can come and talk to and trust.”

He is working on the mental aspects of the game, trying to, as he says, “out of my head and into my body during the game.”

He took care to explain what he meant by this.

“I think for baseball we all have pretty busy minds, and mine is as well, and sometimes that can be detrimental during the game,” he said. “If your mind is really busy its hard to be present, so I am trying to quiet the mind and just let my body take over.”

He had an impressive 2008 season, starting with the Sox A ball team in Lancaster, CA, where he batted .317 in 77 games with 13 homerun’s. He was then shipped to Boston’s AA team in Portland, Maine, where he helped guide the team to the play-offs, by batting .316 in just over 40 games.

“Making the playoffs the first year in Maine was pretty exciting,” Lars said. “I had been playing out in the desert for about four months and it was nice to see some green again!”

Lars will likely return to the Portland Sea Dogs after spring training, as the teams starting first baseman. The next step would likely be AAA Pawtuckett at some point.