Back in 2022, the New York Yankees made a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers to send then-struggling outfielder Joey Gallo out west, and in return, they got back Clayton Beeter. The right-hander has been excellent since joining the organization, posting a 3.24 ERA with 250 strikeouts across 189 innings, although command has been an issue for him thus far. It’s not clear whether he’ll make it as a starter in the big leagues or not, but the Yankees do have some high hopes for him as evidenced by the fact that he was in the competition for the fifth starter job and made their Opening Day roster.
He would fire seven starts with a 2.53 ERA before hitting the IL with a shoulder injury that Brian Cashman mentioned could have been season-ending, but they seemed to have avoided a worst-case scenario. Now activated off of the IL, he’ll report to Double-A where he can get some work in and try to finish the season strong.
Clayton Beeter and the Yankees Catch a Break on Shoulder Injury
2024 may not be the year that Clayton Beeter hoped it would be, but he did make his big-league debut and the Yankees should be encouraged by the stuff gains he made. The right-hander saw an uptick in vertical movement on his fastball, going from roughly average when you adjust for his arm slot to having a plus fastball. Last season his fastball had 16.7 inches of vertical ride with a 24.9% Whiff Rate but this year it shot up to 18.2 inches with a 29% Whiff Rate, and that added movement has made his slider even nastier.
His slider is a great weapon for him, as the pitch generates sharp vertical drop from a high slot at the bottom of the zone for plenty of whiffs. Batters had a .156 wOBA against the pitch with a 48.9% Whiff Rate, and while he’s mostly a two-pitch pitcher, he still has plenty of upside. The Yankees have tried to get him comfortable with his changeup but a curveball has seemed to be his tertiary pitch of choice, which isn’t a bad idea either.
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