Get to Know Giants’ Prospect Tyler Beede

The 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft was full of talented young pitchers. Gerrit Cole, Jose Fernandez, and Sonny Gray were among the hurlers taken in the first round that year. But the San Francisco Giants may have struck gold with a young man who didn’t even sign after he was drafted in 2011.

Tyler Beede was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011 as the 21st overall selection out of Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. In his senior season at Lawrence, he finished with a 14-1 record and 0.80 ERA, with 189 strikeouts in 96.1 innings. He also played football and basketball during his high school years, putting his athletic 6’4″, 200-pound frame to good use.

Despite his status as a first-rounder, Beede declined to sign with Toronto, becoming the only number-one selection to not sign that year. Beede instead chose to attend Vanderbilt University and continue his amateur career.

In his freshman season as a Commodore, Beede struggled somewhat, going just 1-5 with a 4.52 ERA and 68 strikeouts. He would be named to the All-SEC Freshman Team, showing the potential he had inside.

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Beede would tap into that potential in his sophomore campaign. He got out of the gates in a hurry, winning his first 13 starts in a row before ending the season 14-1. He posted a 2.32 ERA and struck out 103 batters, and was nationally recognized for his tremendous efforts. He was a finalist for the 2013 Golden Spikes Award, as well as the Dick Howser Trophy. He was named a first-team All-American by the National College Baseball Writers Association, and second-team All-American by five other governing bodies. He was also selected to play for the United States Collegiate National Team.

Beede’s junior season saw some regression, but he still pitched well. He would end up going 8-8 with a 4.04 ERA and 116 strikeouts, while helping his team win the College World Series. During the season, he was selected in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft, this time by the Giants as the fourteenth overall pick.

Jun 24, 2014; Omaha, NE, USA; (Editor

Because the Commodores won the College World Series, Beede’s professional season got started later than most of the other picks in 2014. He would begin his pro career in the Arizona Rookie League, and start four games for the Giants. In 8.2 innings, he surrendered eight hits and four walks while striking out 11. He also allowed three earned runs for a 3.12 ERA.

Towards the very end of the season, Beede was promoted to Low-A Salem-Kaizer Volcanoes, and started twice for the Volcanoes. In 6.2 innings, he allowed eight hits and three walks, and struck out seven batters. He also surrendered two runs.

Beede features three pitches. His fastball runs between 92 and 94 usually, and has been known to touch 97 on occasion. It has decent movement when kept down, which can force a lot of groundballs. His curveball has a sharp 12-6 break, and offers a nice change of velocity, running in the high 70’s to the low 80’s. His changeup has velocity consistent to the curveball, and features good sink, and moves away from righties. It has the potential to be a good out-pitch, if developed properly.

Beede is known as a smart pitcher, who mixes his pitches well and keep his opponents off-balance. His delivery is fairly repeatable, and he throws his pitches from a high-three-quarter release point. He has a typical “drop-and-drive” delivery.

There are some knocks on Beede, as there would on any 21-year old pitcher. He struggles with his command, much like the Giants’ top prospect Kyle Crick. In his sophomore season, he walked 5.6 batters per nine innings in an otherwise stellar season. He did improve on that in his junior year, as he walked 4.2 per nine.

This can likely be attributed to an inconsistent release point, as Beede has been known to struggle to find one consistently. He also has had issues keeping his front shoulder closed at times. Working with major league-level pitching coaches will most likely help him continue to improve in that department.

Tim Corbin, Vanderbilt’s head baseball coach, had some great praise for Beede, saying that “Tyler has a very good understanding of `team’ and the building of individual relationships. He is very respected by his teammates for his servant behavior, the effort he puts toward other players and his investment level into the game,” as stated on Beede’s college profile.

Beede has baseball in his blood. In 1981, his father, Walter Beede, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 13th round of the draft. The elder Beede played in just one professional season, but he passed along his pedigree to his son.

If Beede were to make it to the Giants big-league roster, he would probably fit right in with the gang of characters in the clubhouse. Beede, in his spare-time, is a rapper, going by the stage name “Young Beedah.” The alter-ego would be able to fit in and keep a clubhouse loose, which is exactly what the Giants look for in talent.

At just 21-years old, Beede has plenty of time to continue his development. With great coaching in the Giants’ system, “Young Beedah” should soon have an opportunity to be performing on a grander stage.