Isaac Stevens | @coachfunnyman11 | April 29, 2024
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The Rockies have called up outfielder Jordan Beck, MLB Pipeline’s number 73 prospect and the Rockies number 4 prospect. The transaction comes in response to Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones lingering back issue, yet to confirm if he will spend time on the IL. This season in Triple-A, Beck has a .307 batting average along with 5 home runs and 5 steals through 25 games.
The Rockies drafted Jordan Beck out of the University of Tennessee in the first round (38th overall) in 2022. He is set to be the tenth player from the 2022 Draft to make their Major League debut. In 2023, his first full season in the Rockies organization, Beck made it all the way to Double-A where he hit 25 home runs across High-A and Double-A. Then coming into 2024, the Rockies had clearly seen enough to start Beck in Triple-A. Through 25 games in Albuquerque, Beck has the fourth highest wRC+ in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Beck has made quick work of the Minor Leagues, and he’ll be the third top 100 prospect to appear for the Rockies since 2020 (Brendan Rodgers and Ezequiel Tovar).
What does Jordan Beck bring to the Rockies?
After Jordan Beck had an impressive .284/.366/.553 slashline in his 3 seasons at the University of Tennessee it was clear what Jordan Beck’s main feature was: his bat. Beck was hitting for average, getting on base, and hitting for power, all three desirable traits for a Major League hitter.
However, guys don’t always translate their collegiate success to professional baseball, if certain underlying parts of their game have great imperfections. That’s not the case with Beck. His Minor League slashline is eerily similar to his collegiate line at .280/.381/.516, while he’s increased his OBP (which you could argue is the most important of the three).
Check out our PreSeason Prospect Rankings for more info on Beck.
Between Beck’s contact ability, plate discipline, and power, his power has the most potential to be elite at the Major League level. He has a strong swing–capable of hitting baseballs over 113 mph–and knows his zone. Since 2023 (150 games), Jordan Beck has 78 extra base hits, 30 of those being home runs. To put that into perspective, in 2023, Shohei Ohtani also had 78 extra base hits. So Jordan Beck’s power presence will be made known to a Rockies squad who is 4th to last in total home runs hit.
Something that doesn’t get talked about more with Jordan Beck is his speed and overall athleticism. He has a strong build, standing 6’2”, and 225 lbs though it doesn’t stop Beck from being an above-average runner. Beck sneakily had a 20/20 season in 2024, and he will be a guy that can swipe 10+ steals a season in MLB.
Fangraphs used a statistic called SPD (Speed Score), and out of 10 it scores how well the player uses their speed. So far in 2024 in Triple-A, Beck has a speed rating of 8.2, showing that the guy can move. Pairing that speed with the big outfield at Coors Field will only benefit Beck’s value and Rockies pitchers.
The other day, Jordan Beck had one of the most ridiculous catches in all of baseball so far this season in center field. It was a ball hit deep to center, that he caught it over his head Willie Mays style. As insane catches like that should not be the standard for a slugger like Jordan Beck, he certainly holds his own and plays the outfield well at all three spots. While Brenton Doyle is manning center, Beck provides another quality option to roam up the middle when Doyle needs a day off. Beck profiles to be a true asset in a corner anyway.
Is Jordan Beck Legit?
Something to always be cautious about with PCL hitters is the league inflation of their numbers because of how friendly most of the parks are to hitters. Every player benefits, but there are levels to the extra luck and inflation. For an “in house” example, we can use Coco Montes. In 2023 he put up an amazing season statistically for the Isotopes, performing so well the Rockies even gave him the MLB nod.
Although his overall season was great, there are clear indications Coco’s Triple-A production wasn’t quite indicative of his ability. Coco had a .400 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) which is a case to case stat, but in his situation it’s not great. Typically in order to have a BABIP as high as Coco’s, said player needs to have extremely impressive power and/or speed. Further, an above average strikeout rate chips away at the sustainability of a BABIP that high.
So evidently, the luck got exploited and reversed by Major League baseball and Coco couldn’t perform at the same level. It was only an 18 game sample size, so there isn’t much to go off of, but it still gives the right idea that some players simply won’t translate their Triple-A production to the big leagues, even when you account for the talent jump. This phenomenon partially explains why successful Minor Leaguers infrequently pan out for the Rockies. For other players who fit that criteria you can look at guys like Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia, though Doyle appears to be changing his narrative.
As for Jordan Beck, his Minor League results indicate that he can put up quality results in MLB. So far in 2024, Beck has an excellent .313/.414/.615 slashline. While his .352 BABIP is on the higher end (MLB league average hovers around .300), it’s not unusual for a PCL hitter of his talent level, suggesting he won’t all of a sudden be hardshipped by MLB pitching. Even if Beck’s BABIP were to drop to a more typical .320 BABIP (more outs on balls in play), his line would still be quite good.
When Beck got called up to Double-A, he struck out 10% more than he did at High-A at 31.8%, which was concerning going into 2024. However, his approach has taken a step forward this year. He’s putting up a big league at bat nearly every time, and his numbers back that up. Beck has cut his strikeout percentage down to 19%, against better pitching than he was seeing at Double-A, and is even walking 15% of the time. Which when you’re looking at a MLB caliber player, Beck is checking all the key boxes.
Will Jordan Beck make an immediate impact?
The infamous sixth tool of a baseball player is their mental fortitude, and for Jordan Beck (AKA Mike Honcho) not many prospects have it better. He’s an absolute dawg when he’s on the field. Whether it’s him being genuinely passionate towards the game, or how he slows down the game when he’s taking an at bat, his presence is known to everyone on the field. That trait will carry to MLB. Jordan Beck isn’t going to be the guy getting in his own head and will display an unteachable swagger and confidence on the field. Having that mentality on a team that lacks energy will be game changing, and will be effective almost immediately.
While Beck may not immediately establish himself as a cornerstone, he will almost certainly be productive in a multitude of ways, whether he shows his defensive ability, steals some bags, or hits a signature Mike Honcho bomb.
Everything Jordan Beck has brought to the table since joining the Rockies organization has screamed Major Leaguer. Confident at bats, big power potential, high-end athleticism and just an overall fun player. Everyone at Blake Street Banter is ecstatic for what Jordan Beck is going to bring for the Rockies, and you should too!
Thank you for reading!
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