Class: Junior
Hometown: Jefferson, Georgia
Height/Weight: 6-3/235
Born: September 4, 1990
So who would have thunk that the Georgia Southern Eagles would have two of the top draft prospects?
Regardless of the oddity, Chris Beck ranks as one of the top college pitchers and could give the top overall arm a run for his money with a strong season.
He certainly had one in 2011.
Coming off of a rough debut as a freshman in 2010 (2-4, 8.31 ERA), Beck thrived as the team’s Friday night starter. He won nine games, accounting for a quarter of the Eagles win total, posted a strong 3.23 ERA in 19 starts and struck out a team-high 109 batters in 103 innings.
It’s a wonder that Beck didn’t end up pitching at a larger university in Georgia, or that he didn’t get drafted higher than the 35th round back in 2009, especially considering he was a two-time Pitcher of the Year who led his team to back-to-back state championships.
At 6’3″ and 235 pounds, Beck has a perfect frame. His fastball is an above-average pitch, sitting in the low-to-mid 90s, sometimes scraping the 96-97 mph range. His slider and his changeup both improved drastically over the course of the 2011 season, with the former showing potential as a plus offering.
He has also shown well during the summer, pitching incredibly well (2-3, 2.12 ERA, 41 strikeouts) in the Cape Cod League.
MLB.com tabbed Beck as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2012 draft class prior to the season.
Fastball: 91-96 mph
Curveball/Slider: 80-85 mph
Changeup: 79-85 mph
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