Ryan Garcia
The Scranton RailRiders are off to a solid start in 2026, and Yankees’ second-round pick Brendan Beck (2021) is one of the biggest reasons why.
In two starts so far, he has allowed just two runs with 15 strikeouts and zero walks, as the right-hander has flashed some interesting abilities in his second season at the highest level of Minor League Baseball.
Promoted after 11 excellent appearances in Double-A the year prior, Beck has made some adjustments on the mound that have made him a nastier pitcher than before.
A finesse pitcher who leans on excellent command and pitchability, Brendan Beck has started to find his footing at a crucial point in his professional career.
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Some key changes for Brendan Beck has allowed him to generate some more swings and misses, punching out 15 batters across 9.1 IP in his first two starts of 2026.
His four-seamer still sits around 91 MPH, but he’s added an additional inch of vertical movement which has both improved its Whiff% and the ability to set up his secondaries.
Beck will often snap his tight bullet slider off of the fastball for swings and misses at the bottom of the zone, but he’s added an improved vertion of his splitter to further help him miss bats at the bottom of the zone.
This splitter is averaging 2.9 inches of IVB with very little spin or lateral movement, creating a sharp dropping actions that hitters are befuddled by.
If he can continue to spin the ball north-south he should eventually make his MLB debut with the Yankees or another organization given how polished his strike-throwing abilities are.
He wasn’t plucked from the organziation during the Rule 5 Draft, but he was also a worse prospect at that point in time, and the improvements he’s made could make him far more desirable.
Throwing a plus splitter is a game-changer as that’s a platoon-neutral pitch that he can break off in any count where he needs a swing and miss.
With a high release height the dropping action on this pitch is made even more devastating, and I’ve become intruiged by the prospect of what Brendan Beck could be moving forward.
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