DrB's 2020 Giants Top 50 Prospects: #28 Tristan Beck

Tristan Beck RHP.  DOB:  6/24/1996.  6'4", 165 lbs.

Rookie(Braves):  0-0, 4.00, 9 IP, 4 BB, 14 K.
A+(Braves):  2-2, 5.65, 36.2 IP, 14 BB, 39 K.
A+(Giants):  3-2, 2.27, 35.2 IP, 13 BB, 37 K.
AFL:  1-2, 3.63, 22.1 IP, 7 BB, 23 K.

I went to a game in San Bernardino in mid-August hoping to see Sean Hjelle pitch.  I got Tristan Beck instead and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.  First of all, he looks more stout than his listed weight.  He's got a classic long-limbed pitcher's body with smooth athletic movements.  His FB was by far his best pitch ranging from 92-96 MPH with solid command.  He also had a curveball that looked like a wipeout pitch at times but with inconsistent command.  I don't recall if I saw a changeup or not, but if I did, it seemed to be a non-factor.  In the end, he had a nice line of 5.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K's.  Beck capped off his season with a successful Arizona Fall League campaign against elite prospects in a hitter-friendly environment.

Beck has the prospect pedigree as he was a projected first round draft pick out of HS, but chose to attend Stanford instead.  After a successful freshman season, he lost his entire sophomore year to a back injury.  He pitched well but not great in his junior season and fell to the fourth round to the Braves.  He lost some time early in 2019 to an oblique strain and Farhan Zaidi was able to pry him away in the Mark Melancon trade, a remarkable achievement on Farhan's part.  He's going to have to get more consistent with the curveball and develop a credible third pitch, but he has the tools to be a major league SP.  I would expect to see him with AA Richmond after the successful fall season.  He has a chance to move way up this list by next year.