Shorebirds Player Feature: Jared Beck
The end-of-season glimpse the parent Orioles got of their 13th-round selection in July’s First-Year Player Draft in a Shorebirds uniform was a brief one. And for Jared Beck, a southpaw who checks in a tick below seven feet tall, that’s just fine. Every professional career begins somewhere, and the 22-year-old’s
The end-of-season glimpse the parent Orioles got of their 13th-round selection in July’s First-Year Player Draft in a Shorebirds uniform was a brief one.
And for Jared Beck, a southpaw who checks in a tick below seven feet tall, that’s just fine. Every professional career begins somewhere, and the 22-year-old’s commenced with low Single-A Salisbury.
“Everyone’s kind of in the same boat, being shipped in and dropped off here and not really knowing a lot of people.” Beck says. “It’s just about making these bonds with the team and getting the morale going. I think it’s really cool when it’s like that.”
When the draft was moved back five weeks to the major league All-Star break, some observers wondered if recently picked players would have time to sign, get acclimated to new organizations and be assigned to an affiliate. It was assumed that most would wind up in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, where Orioles coaches and talent evaluators could see what they had to work with.
But in mid-August, those freshly signed draftees started making their move up the organizational chain – in this case, from the FCL in Sarasota to Salisbury. With three weeks left in the regular campaign and the postseason hopes long gone, the Shorebirds roster turned over significantly.
And in the middle of the movement was Beck, a product of Division II St. Leo University, which counts among its alumni former major league pitchers Jim Corsi and Bob Tewksbury, as well as longtime executive J.P. Riccardi.
There wasn’t a lot of time for gradual introductions to professional baseball, not with a clubhouse full of young players, all eager to make an impression and set the stage for a move up the organizational ladder.
“I think we’ve got a team where a lot of guys are trying to work hard to get where they want to be,” Beck says. “So it’s a step in the right direction, for sure. I think it’s good for everyone to be around talent like this. I was ready to get going. I think I did a good job proving myself this year, showing I could be out here with these guys. I think everyone else had that in mind, too.”
To say Beck stands out in a crowd would be an understatement. At 6-foot-10, he towers over some of his teammates. On the mound, he’s a tangle of long arms and powerful legs, trying hard to work in concert.
It’s not as easy as it sounds, though Beck is determined to increase his velocity, iron out his mechanics and learn to repeat his delivery.
“I think maybe someday I could be (a power pitcher), but I’m kinda working on my body still,” he says between pregame workouts at Perdue Stadium on the season’s final weekend. “I think I had a step in the right direction this season back in college – working with my body and trying to know my body more – but I think there’s a lot left in the tank.”
Beck made significant strides between his freshman and sophomore years at St. Leo. The same guy who was knocked around to the tune of an 7.29 ERA and 1.920 WHIP as a freshman morphed into a more reliable arm as a sophomore, posting a 4-4 record, 3.95 ERA and 1.259 in eight college starts in 2022. His strikeouts per nine innings increased from 9.7 to 13.8, while his walks per nine innings dropped from 7.0 to 4.5.
When those long limbs and a focused determination click, good things happen. And the Orioles, always on the lookout for good pitching prospects, were intrigued enough to draft the tall lefty.
Beck knows that mechanics are the key to his eventual success, and he’s clearly honed in on a cleaner delivery that can become a constant.
If only it were that easy. There’s a reason guys like 6-foot-10 Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and 6-foot-11 Jon Rauch, an 11-year major leaguer who worked mostly in relief, are anomalies. Size matters, but mechanics can be tricky. More than a few tall ballplayers have had trouble getting out of their own way.
“It’s real easy to get out of whack just by tiny movement because our leverage is so long,” Beck says. “I think getting more mass on me, filling out rather than getting taller, I think that’s going to help me a lot and help me become a better baseball player.”
Beck’s cameo with the Shorebirds didn’t come without tangible goals, however. Though fully aware the calendar was not his ally, Beck was fully engaged in what he wanted to accomplish during the regular season’s waning days.
“Just for this season, get out there and get my pitch count up a little bit and see what I can do against these hitters towards the end of the season,” he said. “And towards the offseason, there’s a lot of work to be done. A lot of velo (work), I’m going to work on off-speed. I’m going to try to transform myself into a better pitcher.”
Unlike some of the higher draft picks, who knew one another from the showcase circuit, Beck wasn’t already friends with a lot of his new Shorebirds teammates. But that just plays into the way he approaches his craft.
“You could probably psyche yourself out before you got here – like it’s weird not knowing so many people – but I like to go in with an open mind,” says Beck, a native of Davenport, Iowa. “Everyone’s been so nice. I’ve never been East at all, so it’s a lot different.”
But Beck isn’t comparing himself to other Delmarva pitchers. He says there’s plenty of introspection that will take place, with his own growth and advancement the key factors.
“At a young age, there were guys throwing harder than me, and that was kind of motivation for me to work harder,” he says. “But I knew deep down I had the stuff; I could pitch, and I had the mentality for that. Just putting everything together and working with mechanics … and getting bigger, that’s going to help me. And it has so much already. But there’s so much more in the tank.”
But he doesn’t see what lies ahead as challenges, at least not in the conventional sense.
“I’d say the biggest challenge is … I don’t really see it as a challenge, I see it as kind of an opportunity,” Beck says. “Show what I’ve got, show off my skills. … I’m just going to let it happen.”
How clubs across Minor League Baseball are celebrating PLAY BALL Weekend
PLAY BALL Weekend is almost here, and Minor League clubs have put together an exciting calendar of events to celebrate MLB’s youth engagement initiative. Some clubs are hosting youth clinics or other events in their home ballparks while others are bringing the joy of baseball and softball into the local
Here are the weirdest plays and stats from MiLB in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Podcast features first-base promotions for Caglianone, Eldridge
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Cubs' Rojas, Mets' Tong headline May's Minor League Players of the Month
Minor League Baseball announced the Player and Pitcher of the Month Award winners for May in Major League Baseball’s player development system.
Minor League Baseball, Joe Torre Safe At Home partnership enters ninth year
For the ninth year, Minor League Baseball and Joe Torre Safe At Home have teamed up to raise awareness about violence and abuse and to inspire fans of all ages to join them in SAH’s critical work. This year, 63 MiLB teams will participate in an in-ballpark initiative from May
MiLB podcast discusses Anthony, Caglianone at Triple-A
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
These are the greatest Minor League promos happening in June
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
New playoff format coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League
Minor League Baseball announced the 2025 Dominican Summer League (DSL) season will begin June 2 with Opening Day festivities taking place at the Boston Red Sox Academy in Guerra. The 2025 campaign will also see the introduction of the DSL Cup, a new playoff format that will see 16 DSL
Debating best Minor League home caps on podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
The Omaha Storm Chasers' 'Take Meow-t' cat night included a Litter Box Sundae
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Boston's Triple-A affiliate throws birthday bash for Roman Anthony
With all the hype that has surrounded Roman Anthony over the past two seasons, it’s easy to forget how young he really is. MLB's No. 1 prospect played 70 games at the highest level of the Minors before he could order a beer. But he can now. Roman Anthony turned
Friendly foes, 2024 first-rounders Moore and Caglianone trade first Triple-A homers
For years, Christian Moore and Jac Caglianone laced up their cleats against one another in the SEC. A rivalry that spanned Florida, Tennessee and other landmarks across the South moved to Salt Lake City this week as the Royals and Angels' top prospects got simultaneous Triple-A promotions. So it was
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other