| Beckham is a toolsy shortstop who emerged as one of the premier amateur prospects in the nation after an excellent summer on the showcase circuit in 2007. Although he was a more affordable option than more polished college players Pedro Alvarez and Buster Posey, the Rays truly felt that he was the best available talent in the 2008 draft. For these reasons, they made the Georgia high school product their second consecutive first overall pick in June.
Beckham is an athletic infielder with a plus arm and plenty of range. Although he is a bit raw, he has a good feel out there in the field. On the offensive side, he still has some mechanical issues in his swing. According to scouting reports, though, the ball jumps off his bat and he projects to hit for power in the future. He is also a plus runner who has been clocked as low as 6.33 in the 60-yard dash.
In terms of performance, there is not a lot to go by yet. Beckham struggled in Rookie ball in his pro debut, putting together a line of .243/.295/.345, with 12 doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs, in the Appalachian League. He posted rates of 6.8 BB%, 24.3 K% and a .102 ISO and .639 OPS. Of course, it would be foolish to read too much into this at this point, especially considering that it was a relatively small sample size of 177 at-bats in 46 games. He also seemed to make progress in all facets of his game towards the end of the summer, finishing the year with a two-game stint in the New York Penn League.
Beckham, voted as the top prospect on the circuit by Baseball America, is a legitimate five-tool talent who is only going to improve. Although he did not set the world on fire in his debut, it is way too early to be concerned. He is at least three years away from making in impact for in the majors, but the future looks bright for what should be the Rays’ final top overall pick for quite a while. |
