The Boston Red Sox are currently the best team in baseball. They are the first team to win 42 games this year after a 6-0 win over the Tigers on Tuesday night. Boston’s pitching staff has been pretty solid this year to keep them at the top of the AL East standings with Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, David Price, and Rick Porcello all pitching well. However, there has been one weak link, Drew Pomeranz. The good news for Red Sox fans is Pomeranz will go on the DL as the team will give the youngster Jalen Beeks a chance to prove himself.
Ian Browne of MLB.com was the first to promote the news of Beeks’ promotion to Boston:
Jalen Beeks will pitch Thursday for the @RedSox in MLB debut.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) June 6, 2018
Beeks has been pitching really well down in AAA Pawtucket. Beeks came into the season as the Red Sox 15th best prospect in what is considered a below average farm system. In 56.1 innings, Beeks has tossed a 2.56 ERA striking out 80 batters over that stretch. Check out Beeks’ scouting report according to MLB.com
“Beeks first attracted the attention of scouts when he hit 93 mph with his fastball as a Crowder (Mo.) JC freshman in 2012, and Beeks signed two years later out of Arkansas for $150,000 as a 12th-rounder. He has improved as he has advanced through the Red Sox system and claimed the organization’s pitcher of the year award in 2017. He reduced his Double-A ERA to 2.19 from 4.68 the previous year and continued to pitch well in his first taste of Triple-A.
Beeks’ most reliable offering is a 91-93 mph fastball that maxes out at 95 and plays above its velocity because of high spin rate and deception. He ran into trouble in 2016 after his changeup lost its tumble, but it became a solid pitch again last year. He had to rely more on his slider when his changeup deserted him, and he turned it into more of a mid-80s cutter in 2017.
To give batters a different look, Beeks also uses a slow curveball that can flash average at times. His delivery features some effort, but it also throws hitters’ timing off without causing major control issues. He did a better job of holding his stuff into the late innings and missing bats last year, boosting his chances of succeeding as a No. 4 or 5 starter.”
