Texas Tech University has been a strong program in recent seasons. Clayton Beeter is looking to be the next Red Raider drafted after several joined the professional ranks in 2019. Caleb Kilian was selected in the eighth round last summer and Josh Jung was selected eighth overall. Beeter should go several rounds higher than Kilian but not quite as high as Beeter in 2020.
Clayton Beeter 2020 MLB Draft Profile
Beeter is a 6’2″, 220-pound right-handed pitcher. He is ranked as the 51st prospect on MLB.com’s big board. He underwent Tommy John surgery in high school but has improved the further he has gotten away from that event. Beeter was part of Texas Tech’s run to the College World Series semifinals in 2019. This will be Beeter’s first time in the draft pool.
Strengths
The 21-year-old Beeter has four pitches at the moment. He currently throws a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. The first three are graded as 60/80 with the changeup coming in as a 50. The fastball currently sits between 93 and 96 MPH and peaks around 98 MPH. The fact that three of the pitches are as good as they are is interesting considering Beeter has only thrown 41 2/3 innings in college thanks to the Tommy John in high school and a subsequent arthroscopic procedure in the same calendar year.
Beeter’s numbers have improved as a sophomore. He was a freshman reliever in 2019 with very average numbers. He was promoted to the rotation this year and saw better results in almost every area. Beeter’s ERA went from 3.48 in 2019 to 2.14 in 2020. He also walked only four batters in 21 innings this year compared to 20 in 20 2/3 innings last season. He struck out fewer batters but was much better at giving up free passes.
Beeter’s best game was his final start before the NCAA cancelled the rest of the season. He threw six innings against Rice with no earned runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts in a 7-1 victory. More games like that could have pushed him into the late first-round territory.
Weaknesses
Beeter looks like a much better pitcher this year but there are still concerns. He hasn’t thrown nearly as many innings as his peers. There is very little track record to indicate what he can do over a full season. The injuries do not help either. Beeter has improved over time but multiple elbow surgeries rarely look good on a prospect’s medical record.
There is also the question if Beeter’s sophomore results are repeatable. He didn’t change much after his freshman season but reduced his walk rate from 8.7 per nine to 1.7. That is a huge drop but it came without major mechanical changes. Beeter’s health could have been a contributing factor. However, there is no way to know since the college season ended so abruptly.
His history makes him a larger unknown when compared to other pitchers in this class. Beeter could ultimately return to college to improve his stock with a strong junior season.
MLB Comp
Griffin Canning leaps to mind as a potential comparable for Clayton Beeter. Both are 6’2″ and have the same four-pitch arsenal. Canning is one of the Los Angeles Angels most promising pitching prospects. His fastball averaged 93.9 mph and his slider was around 89 with solid movement. He threw 90 1/3 innings for the Angels in 2019 with a 4.58 ERA and 96 strikeouts. Beeter has a solid chance to start like Canning does but he could also move to the bullpen as a power reliever with his fastball/slider/curveball combination.
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