Pedro Grifol has seen the Chicago White Sox up close for years when coaching for the Kansas City Royals.
But seeing the White Sox in spring training at Camelback Ranch as the team's new manager has challenged his perception of some players.
"I've learned don't get ahead of yourself in the evaluation process because spring training takes about ten or 15 games in to really kind of settle in to evaluations. But Tim Anderson has been somebody that I've been unbelievably impressed with," Grifol told Chuck Garfien on the White Sox Talk Podcast.
"I saw it from the other side. My instinct was this guy's a winner, that he plays with an edge that I've always admired. But then when I got here and we've had a chance to talk face-to-face and I got a chance to spend some time with him on the field, my evaluation on him was right.
"And I'm really happy that my evaluation on him was right. He's a winner. He's all in for us to have success. And I'm looking forward to me being a part of this with him."
Anderson has played 92 games against the Royals and Grifol. In those games he's batting .313, slugging .454 with a .803 OPS.
MLB
Last season Anderson missed more than half the season while dealing with injuries, but earned his second consecutive All-Star nod.
The White Sox are hoping to have a healthier roster in 2023 to finally see the full potential of this squad, and Anderson is a big part of that.
Grifol had previously expressed his optimism around Anderson's potential in 2023, and even suggested some more batting titles are in Anderson's future.
"He's got capabilities of hitting some homers," Grifol said. "We all know what he can do with the bat and he's a magician with the bat. He can win multiple batting titles. He's a pretty damn good hitter."