Tyler Beede

Beede made his major-league debut in 2019. The results weren't strong, though he displayed increased fastball velocity and mixed that effectively with a curveball at various times to post six quality starts in 22 chances. As a result, he entered 2020 with some helium, though he was ultimately forced to miss the entire campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late June. Upon his return, Beede will have to improve his control after walking 3.5 batters per nine innings in his debut. He'll also have to learn to limit hard contact, as he was tagged for an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph - good for the second percentile in the league. As for 2021 specifically, Beede was reportedly playing catch by mid-September. That would keep him in line for a potential return in the second half, though it's unclear how the Giants intend to ease him back after the lengthy absence.

Once the Giants' top pitching prospect, Beede's stock has fallen considerably after struggling with consistency at the Triple-A level. The right-hander received his first extended big-league opportunity in 2019 but stumbled to a 5-10 record and 5.08 ERA (5.03 FIP). The adjustments Beede made to his arsenal -- doing away almost entirely with his sinker, throwing more sliders and ramping up his fastball velocity by two mph -- yielded mixed results. While far from ideal, his 3.54 BB/9 was a vast improvement over the 6.88 BB/9 he posted across four levels in 2018. However, Beede was hit hard by opposing batters, yielding a 46.5 Hard% that ranked fourth-worst in the league (minimum 100 innings) and an elevated 1.69 HR/9 that was his highest in any professional season. Beede should have a spot in the Giants' rotation to start 2020, but he'll be a risky fantasy target despite his untapped potential.

Beede no longer pitches with a plus fastball -- the pitch sat in the low-90s last year -- and he still lacks even average command of his four-pitch repertoire. Had he made any positive strides at all, Beede likely would have made his big-league debut last summer. Instead, Ty Blach and Chris Stratton passed him on the organizational depth chart. The Giants' farm system is one of the worst in baseball, so adding Beede to the 40-man roster this offseason was an easy call. However, expecting anything more than back-end starter production from the 24-year-old righty would be unwise at this point. Look for him to get some spot starts, possibly even joining the rotation at some point in the first half of 2017, but don't expect useful numbers in standard leagues.

Beede -- a first-round pick in 2014 -- had a bounce-back campaign after a down 2015 season. The right-hander posted a respectable 2.55 K/BB ratio while showing an ability to keep the ball in the park (0.55 HR/9). Beede also saw his fastball top out at 98 mph after seeing a slight decrease in velocity the year prior. In addition to his straight four-seamer, Beede also throws a power sinker, a curveball and a changeup. The difference in velocity from his fastball to low-80s changeup is very appealing when considering his potential to have success at the major league level. He will have to limit his walks, but he did lower his walk rate from 4.4 BB/9 in 2015 to 3.2 BB/9 last season. With both Phil Bickford and Adalberto Mejia dealt at the trade deadline, Beede is easily the Giants' top pitching prospect heading into 2017. The Giants will likely assign Beede to Triple-A Sacramento to begin the season.

It was a tale of two seasons for the highly-touted pitching prospect. After getting off to a solid start at High-A San Jose (2.24 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 in nine starts), Beede was promoted to Double-A Richmond where his numbers took a dip (5.23 ERA, 6.1 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 in 13 starts). While the difference in ERA is concerning, a little luck may have been involved, as his FIP (3.43 with San Jose compared to 4.21 with Richmond) suggests there was not as drastic of a difference in his performance at the two levels. Still, the lack of control is a bit concerning for a guy that doesn't strike out a ton of batters. If he hadn't taken a step back after his promotion, there would be talk of having him possibly join the starting rotation at the beginning of the 2016 season, but a more likely scenario would be a return to Double-A Richmond to see if he can regain his control.

The Giants have a history of aggressively pushing talented pitchers selected in the first round up the organization ladder, and Beede could be next in line. The 14th overall pick in 2014 out of Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-4 righty has a mid-90s fastball and solid secondary arsenal, but limiting his walks will be the key for his development in 2015. In 15.1 innings between rookie ball and the Northwest League, the 21-year-old showcased both his ability to miss bats and his propensity for walking batters, posting a 18:7 K:BB ratio and a 2.93 ERA. He will probably be sent to Low-A Augusta to start the season, and despite winning the 2014 World Series, the Giants lack starting pitching depth, so he will be promoted rapidly if the team thinks he can handle it. If everything works, Beede could be a mid-rotation starter for the Giants at some point in 2016.