While the New York Yankees may not boast a top-tier farm system these days — much of their prospect capital went out the door in pursuit of stars like Juan Soto — they continue to do what they’ve always done well: develop pitchers. And right now, one of the most exciting names climbing the ladder is 26-year-old right-hander Brendan Beck.
From Stanford Star to Minor League Breakout
Beck, a 2021 second-round pick out of Stanford, has taken the scenic route through the system, in large part due to injury setbacks. After missing all of 2024, this season marks a long-awaited return, and the results have been worth the wait.
Across 15 scoreless innings to start 2025, Beck is making hitters look silly. He’s striking out batters at a 7.80 K/9 clip, holding a pristine 100% left-on-base rate, and allowing almost no damage contact. His ground ball rate sits at 35.1%, and his command has been pinpoint — rarely handing out free passes.
On Tuesday, he continued his dominance with five scoreless innings, giving up four hits, walking one, and striking out three. Even more telling, Beck generated eight swings and misses, showing that his stuff is translating at a high level.
Eastern League Pitcher of the Week? Deserved.
Beck was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week — and it’s no fluke. With every start, he’s showing why the Yankees were high on him back in 2021. His arsenal may not be overpowering in terms of velocity, but he has excellent fastball command and a curveball that disappears late, keeping hitters honest.
A Call-Up Could Be Closer Than You Think
If Beck keeps this up, the Yankees will likely move him to Triple-A in the near future. At that point, he’s only one call away from the Bronx — especially if injuries strike the rotation or if depth is needed later in the year.
What’s most encouraging is that Beck’s biggest obstacle has always been health. Now that he’s seemingly on the other side of that, his high-floor, high-IQ profile gives the Yankees a controllable arm with upside — exactly the kind of hidden gem that could make a quiet but critical impact later in the season.