Anderson among top prospect performers Saturday

The Braves have to be pleased with the early return on Ian Anderson.

Selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, Anderson fired four more scoreless innings on Saturday for the Braves’ Gulf Coast League affiliate, giving him 15 straight scoreless innings to begin his professional career. The Braves’ No. 5 prospect allowed just two hits and established a new career best by striking out six hitters.

Anderson, already ranked No. 94 on the Top 100, has registered 14 strikeouts against four walks across his four starts, during which he’s limited opposing hitters to a .212 average while generating more than twice as many ground-ball outs as flyouts.

Tall and projectable with plenty of room for adding strength to his 6-foot-3, 170-pound frame, Anderson throws his fastball in the 91-95 mph range with good downhill angle, and there were reports that he was bumping 97 in the weeks leading up to the Draft. The 18-year-old right-hander gets swings and misses with a breaking ball that can be plus at times. Though it plays more like a slurve at this point, scouts expect the pitch to develop into more of a true slider for the right-hander. Anderson also has good feel for an average changeup, and he has a strong track record of throwing strikes and attacking opposing hitters.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Saturday

• No. 13 overall prospect Orlando Arcia (Brewers’ No. 1) connected on a three-run home run against Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect Jose De Leon (No. 44 overall), though it wasn’t enough to keep Triple-A Colorado Springs from falling to Oklahoma City. The home run was Arcia’s eighth of the season and his first since July 6.

• Although Sean Newcomb has struggled in July, the Braves’ No. 3 prospect (No. 60 overall) was sharp, as he tossed five innings of one-run ball for Double-A Mississippi against Birmingham. The 23-year-old lefty scattered …

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