By John Franco
I know I’m not the greatest living expert on the Pirates’ farm system, but I feel like I know the farm relatively well, and I’ve at least heard of all of the relevant players. So I was thrown for a loop when ESPN’s Tristan Cockroft tabbed someone named Ryan Beckman as the fantasy sleeper to own in the Pirates’ bullpen next season. If you asked me who Ryan Beckman was, I would have probably guessed he was a contestant on The Bachelor or maybe a Premier League soccer player, and here he is on a list with Johnny Venters and Sergio Romo.
I don’t know how well Cockroft knows the Pirates’ system or who he talked to, but if you asked me, I would have tabbed Evan Meek (the obvious choice), Chris Leroux (a bit deeper) or maybe even Jared Hughes (a deep sleeper who I love) as the possible replacement for Joel Hanrahan if the Pirates needed a new closer next year. So who is this Beckman guy, and where did he come from?
The Pirates drafted Beckman in the 18th round of the 2009 draft. He was a high school pitcher from Texas – apparently, he was home schooled but played baseball anyway - and the Pirates drafted him after 1 season at Grayson County Community College (the same school that produced John Lackey). He signed quickly enough to work 39.1 innings in the Gulf Coast League that season, striking out 19 hitters and walking just 8. In 2010 he worked as a reliever at State College (NY Penn League), posting a 21:16 K/BB rate in 42.1 innings.
This year, Beckman spent most of the season at Bradenton (Florida State League) where he has posted significantly better numbers: 52 innings, 46 strikeouts, 18 walks and just 44 hits allowed. He posted a great groundball rate in 2010 (2.67 GO/AO, which is ground ball outs over outs through the air) but regressed in 2011 (just 0.95 at Bradenton).
I can’t find any scouting reports on Beckman at all. He threw in the high 80s in high school, but he was also 6-foot-4 and I’m sure the Pirates saw a lot of projection in his frame. I like the improved K/BB rate, and if he can combine it with the groundball rate from 2010, I’ll like his prospects a lot more. If you’ve got any more input on Beckman, please leave it in the comments below. Otherwise, I’ll assume that Cockroft must have talked to a reliable source, but I’m not ready to pencil in Beckman for a spot on the 2012 Pirates, even as a mid-season call-up.
Hi John,
You asked for inputs on Ryan Beckman. It’s kind of funny to read some of the articles on Ryan since he was stealthy up until being drafted.
You won’t hear Ryan or his family tooting their horn about his baseball skill and desire. That’s just not who they are. The Beckman’s are just good, down to earth, humble people! You haven’t heard much about his high school career because he played 3 years on a home school team. I had the privilege of first coaching Ryan back when he and my youngest son Travis played Pony League and All-Stars in Benbrook, TX. At that early stage he was a special player!
Fast forward a few years…Corey Linscombe (another home school dad) and I started a competitive high school baseball program in 2003 for home school students located around the west side of Fort Worth, TX named PTHSS (Parker-Tarrant Home School Sports). Ryan joined up with PTHSS in 2005 and played through the 2007 season where I again had the privilege of being one of his coaches. He was a very talented and humble young man that could play any position we asked. He was our ace pitcher and primary shortstop. He also provided a lethal weapon on offense, often times going deep. Ryan’s family was a great supporter of the PTHSS baseball program. Ryan is a “sleeper” in terms of people not knowing much about him. However, I believe Ryan has what it takes from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective to make it to the majors. Don’t sell him short! He’s a student of the game, a hard worker, and has been blessed with the physical tools. It would not surprise me at all if he was on the Pirates roster in 2012.
On a side note…he’s got two sisters that have been equally impressive in our volleyball program…one that’s graduated (Sarah) and playing at the college level and his youngest (Alicia), a senior this year, who will surely have some NCAA opportunities. Hello Division I volleyball coaches!! Are you looking for someone not on the radar that has the ability to play at the highest level? You need to check out Alicia Beckman. She is helping lead the PTHSS volleyball team as one of the top teams in the nation for home school volleyball in 2011.
Thanks for letting me share about Ryan and his family…
Sincerely,
David Manning
President
Parker-Tarrant Home School Sports (PTHSS)
Fort Worth, TX
David,
Thanks for the great comment! I love learning more about the young Pirates and this is great stuff. I really hope Tristan is right and we see Ryan in the majors next year. And I hope his bat translates to the majors, because the Pirates’ current pitchers are awful hitters