21st Overall: Blue Jays Select Tyler Beede
By Aaron Somers
The Toronto Blue Jays selected Tyler Beede with the 21st pick in the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The 18 year-old, right-handed pitcher attended the Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts, which is north of Boston. Beede stands 6’4″ tall and weighs 200 pounds. He was not featured as a first round pick by Wally Fish in the S2S Mock Draft.
Repertoire:
Beede throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. His bread and butter is his low-90s four-seam fastball that he commands very well. A slightly above average change-up and two-seam fastball compliment his plus fastball. Beede also features a high-70s curveball with excellent late life. It’s scary to think that at just 18-years-old Beede already features four plus-pitches.
Numbers:
He led his tiny Massachusetts high school team to a state championship with 114 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings. Beede threw a perfect game and the majority of his starts were complete games this season. His performance earned him the “Mr. Baseball” award which is presented annually to the top high school baseball player in Massachusetts.
What They Say:
Brendan Hall / ESPNboston.com
"Tyler’s prowess on the mound is equaled by his demeanor off of it. He’s just one of those kids you meet once and can’t help but root for. His three plus-pitches and mid-90’s velocity are what draw all the attention, but what has impressed me in all the years watching him is the intangibles. His attitude and work ethic are rare for his age in terms of maturity, and you see it in the way he manages on the mound."
PerfectGameUSA.com
"Beede’s ability to mix his pitches and throw to spots is very advanced for a high school pitcher an will enable him to become immediately successful at the next level, weather that is Vanderbilt or professional ball."
John Sickels / MinorLeagueBall.com
"Some signability issues with a Vanderbilt scholarship, but they wouldn’t take him this high if the deal couldn’t get done."
Future:
Beede is committed to Vanderbilt and is highly regarded as a tough sign. Perhaps the Blue Jays know something that the rest of us don’t know? If he’s willing to sign it’s a helluva catch for the Blue Jays. While it’s hard to project an 18-year-old, Beede shouldn’t have a problem living up to the hype. It’s realistic to predict a front of the rotation future for him.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: For more on Toronto’s selection of Beede and the Blue Jays in general be sure to visit Jays Journal.
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