Boston Red Sox: Lin, Jalen Beeks could see September call-up
Boston Red Sox fans may get a peek at top pitching prospect Jalen Beeks come September.
At the beginning of the season, few Boston Red Sox fans had heard of Jalen Beeks. But come mid-summer, the southpaw from Arkansas had established himself as a top pitching prospect.
Beeks is a former teammate of left fielder Andrew Benintendi at the University of Arkansas. While a Razorback, Beeks had a 1.98 ERA in his final season to go along with 13 starts and 68 K’s in 81.2 IP. After being drafted in the 12th round in 2014, Beeks excelled through the low minors and found himself in Double-A by mid-2016.
During the spring of 2017, Beeks had his “coming out party” during a Spring Training start against the USA World Baseball Classic team. With Roenis Elias suddenly scratched from his start moments before the game, the Red Sox called on Jalen to make an unexpected start.
The young lefty impressed – throwing two scoreless innings and striking out a pair with only one hit allowed. This example of poise and confidence impressed many fans and the coaching staff.
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This season, Beeks began pitching for the Portland Sea Dogs and he was dominant. In nine starts, he went 5-1 with a 2.19 ERA. Beeks also struck out 58 batters in 49.1 IP at Double-A. The performance quickly led to a promotion to Pawtucket. There, Beeks continued to impress, boasting a 3.45 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 88 K’s in 86 IP. In fact, he has gone at least six innings in seven of his last eight starts.
What’s Next for Jalen Beeks?
With the big league club looking to add depth on the roster expansion date of September 1, Jalen Beeks could be a likely candidate. Not only for his outstanding performance this season, but also because he is Rule 5 Draft Eligible in December should the Boston Red Sox not add him to the 40-man.
While it’s unlikely that he’d jump right into the starting rotation, Beeks could be very valuable as a middle reliever. His quirky delivery, slider, and changeup could pose problems for left-handers at first. In short outings, his fastball could even stay consistent at 94-95 MPH.
Overall, I’d like them to give him a chance in September, with potentially some work in the Arizona Fall League. It’s quite possible that the Sox have found a steal.
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Not to be lost in the conversation is fellow prospect Tzu-Wei Lin. Although he’s come back to earth since his last demotion, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him either.