Ryan Beckman

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2009
R:  2-2-0, 5.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 4.3 K/9 

Beckman was second on the GCL Bucs in innings.  He made three starts and eight relief appearances.  Distinctions between starts and relief appearances don’t mean much at that level, though, as he actually averaged more innings in the latter.  Overall, he didn’t pitch well.  Opponents hit .281 against him and he fanned only 19 in 39.1 IP.

2010
A-:  0-2-3, 4.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 42.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 4.5 K/9 

Pitched in relief at State College and didn’t get hit quite as hard, with an opponents’ average of .247.  He had an extreme groundout to air out ratio of 2.37 and struck out very few.

2011
A:  0-0-2, 0.00, 0.83 WHIP, 6 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 4.5 K/9
A+:  4-4-11, 3.12 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 52 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.6 K/9 

Opened the season at West Virginia, but was promoted to Bradenton after only four games and served as the Marauders’ principal closer.  He showed significant improvement, with an opponents’ average of .226 and a much better K rate.  The improvement came mainly in the season’s second half.  Beckman had an ERA of 4.21 through the end of June, and it could have been a lot worse had half the runs against him not been unearned.  Starting in July, though, his ERA was 2.05 and hitters batted just .172 against him.  Surprisingly for a sidearm pitcher, he had a mild reverse platoon split, as left-handed batters hit only .595 against him while right-handed batters hit .673.  Also a little odd was the fact that he wasn’t a groundball pitcher, with roughly an even ratio between groundouts and air outs.

2012
AA:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.00 WHIP, 0.1 IP, 27.0 BB/9, 27.0 K/9

Beckman opened 2012 at Altoona but injured his elbow in his first and only outing.  After attempting to rehab it, he had Tommy John surgery in June.

2013
A+:  2-0-1, 4.00 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 18.0 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 5.5 K/9
AA:  0-1-1, 2.37 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 19.0 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

Beckman returned from the TJ surgery at the beginning of June.  He relieved in 13 games for Bradenton and 15 for Altoona.  Considering that it was his recovery season, he did fine.

2014
AA:  3-4-5, 2.62 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 55.0 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 4.6 K/9

Beckman was eligible for the Rule 5 draft for the second time and again wasn’t selected.  He returned to the Altoona bullpen and had good results except for an extremely low K rate.  He held opponents to a 218/318/277 line, with right-handed hitters managing just a .564 OPS.  His batting average on balls in play of .243, though, isn’t likely to be sustainable.

Beckman will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft again.  It’s hard to see adding him to the roster with such a low K rate.  He’s got one more year until minor league free agency.  If he’s back, it should be at Indianapolis.