While the New York Yankees might not currently have a top-ranked farm system — much of their prospect depth was traded for stars like Juan Soto — they continue to excel in developing pitchers. Right now, one of their most exciting prospects making his way up is 26-year-old right-handed pitcher Brendan Beck.
From Stanford Standout to Minor League Sensation
Beck, selected in the second round of the 2021 draft from Stanford, has taken a bit longer to develop, mainly due to injury setbacks. After missing the entirety of 2024, this season marks his long-awaited return, and the results have been impressive.
In 15 scoreless innings to begin 2025, Beck has been dominant, striking out batters at a rate of 7.80 K/9, with a perfect 100% left-on-base rate, and allowing minimal hard contact. His ground ball rate stands at 35.1%, and his control has been spot-on, with very few walks allowed.
On Tuesday, he extended his strong performance with five scoreless innings, giving up just four hits, walking one, and striking out three. Most notably, Beck generated eight swings and misses, showcasing that his pitches are translating well at a high level.
Beck’s Performance
In his second start in 604 days, RHP Brendan Beck threw six innings of no-hit baseball against Altoona.
6.0 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 5 K
Pitches (Strikes): 67 (47)
Eastern League Pitcher of the Week? Absolutely.
Beck earned the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honor, and it’s well deserved. With each outing, he’s proving why the Yankees were excited about him back in 2021. His arsenal may not be the hardest throwing, but his fastball command is excellent, and his curveball has great late movement, keeping hitters off balance.
A Call-Up Might Be Closer Than Expected
If Beck continues his strong performances, the Yankees will likely move him to Triple-A soon. At that point, he could be just one step away from the major leagues — especially if the team faces injury issues in the rotation or needs depth later in the season.
What’s most encouraging is that Beck’s primary challenge has always been his health. Now that he appears to have moved past those issues, his high-floor, high-IQ profile gives the Yankees a controllable pitcher with significant upside — the kind of sleeper who could make a key impact later in the season.
