Clayton Beeter hopes to become more than the guy Yankees traded Joey Gallo for
Joey Gallo didn’t succeed with the Yankees, but his tenure in pinstripes did produce a pitching prospect that the organization is very high on.
Clayton Beeter came over to the Yanks when New York dealt Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline last season. The 24-year-old right-hander was the Dodgers' No. 15 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, last year and became the Yankees’ No. 10 overall prospect -- he’s currently sitting as No. 13.
To Yankee fans, Beeter’s name is synonymous with Gallo, which the Texas native doesn’t seem to mind. But he does hope that his name can stand on its own one day and that his competitiveness will be what he’s known for.
“Every time my name is mentioned, so is Joey Gallo’s, which is cool. But at the same time I want people to know who I am too,” he told reporters prior to Saturday’s Futures Game. “I did grow up watching Joey Gallo. It’s not a bad guy to be thrown in there with.”
Beeter said he’s never met Gallo, but went to a lot of Rangers games where the left-handed outfielder launched many a moonshot.
His first step in becoming a household name in the eyes of Yankees fans is the 2023 Futures Game. Beeter got the two batters he faced out, on nine pitches, including picking up a strikeout.
"Felt good, it was definitely different coming out of the bullpen in the seventh inning," Beeter said after the Futures Game. "But it was fun."
Beeter was impressive Saturday in almost the same way he’s impressed the Yankees so far this season.
In 12 starts in Double-A Somerset, Beeter went 6-2 with a 2.08 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 60.2 innings. HIs impressive start to the minor league season led to a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where it’s been a bit of a tough sledding.
In two starts, Beeter is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA. He’s given up seven runs in 11 innings pitched in that stretch. But the youngster is undeterred and is doing everything he can to continue to learn and hone his craft.
“I’m happy, being able to get stretched out and learn a lot about pitching and not just throwing,” Beeter said. “I’m more focused on winning games and trying to compete. At the end of the day, it’s a game we’re playing instead of being focused on stats.”
In the Dodgers system, Beeter was pitching just one or two innings every outing. Since his move to the Yankees, they’ve focused a lot on getting him to a point where he can go deep into games as a starter and stay healthy.
“I’m feeling great. I feel like I’m recovering well,” he said. “Feel the same as I felt last year when I’ve only gone one or two innings. It’s a lot more fun [to go longer] I’d say.”
Beeter explained that this season, aside from the length, has felt very similar to previous seasons. He’s trying to develop and throw his changeup a little more, but the focus is on staying healthy and getting his body adjusted to the workload.
If Beeter can continue to develop in Triple-A, there’s a chance he’ll get called up this season if the Yankees need an extra arm. It’s happened already with Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito so Beeter stays ready by speaking with his teammates, especially those who have already tasted the big leagues like Matt Krook and Greg Weissert.
They’ve instilled plenty of invaluable knowledge while also getting him in the right mindset if the day a call-up happens.
“It’s different with the Yankees because they’re always contenders so you have to go up there and perform which is part of the deal,” he said. “It’s exciting to see everyone going up and it’s encouraging too.”
Beeter will not be the only Yankee in this year’s Futures Game. Spencer Jones -- the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect -- is in Seattle for the showcase of the best and brightest of the minor league system, as well.
