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SCOTTSDALE — Tristan Beck announced he grew up an Angels fan before immediately redeeming himself in Giants fans’ minds.
The starting prospect from Corona, in Southern California, grew up rooting for the Giants’ 2002 World Series foes. His father is a Padres fan from San Diego, and his mother a Giants supporter from the Bay Area.
“They were brought together by their mutual hatred of the Dodgers, which is a very important thing to have here now that I’m a Giant myself,” Beck said with a smile last weekend.
The 24-year-old Stanford product was invited to major league Giants camp after coming over in 2019 in the trade that sent Mark Melancon to the Braves, a move that was celebrated by his family, and especially his mom.
He pitched six games with then-High-A San Jose, entered his offseason, and the world stopped.
With the Giants prioritizing keeping hitting prospects in Sacramento and asking the pitchers to train from home, Beck spent 2020 with his family in Corona, where he was fortunate enough to have 1) a home gym and 2) a brother, Brendan, who pitches for Stanford. He did not have to look far for a throwing partner.
He said he was happy with his progress, which he then demonstrated in the instructional league last fall, where he said he was touching 96-97 mph, which led to his invitation to major league camp. He said his fastball is now living in the mid-90s, up from his Stanford and Braves days.
“One of the biggest changes to my game” since the trade is buying into the analytical side of pitching, he said. The Giants want that four-seamer to hit the top of the zone, which is one of the adjustments he’s been making with the new organization.
“That’s a really cut-and-dry example of just looking at the data and letting it guide an approach you take. So we’ve been building on that, kind of putting together an entire pitch sequence to kind of fit the arsenal that I’m working with and try to maximize the opportunity to get outs,” said Beck, who also has a curveball, slider and changeup. “I’ve been been really happy with my growth in that area over the last year, year and a half.”
It has led to growth with that arsenal. In defining and separating each pitch, he’s said he’s been trying to throw his curveball a bit harder and taking some vertical break off his slider, which will further distinguish the pitch.
The Giants consistently have said they will place prospects conservatively but promote aggressively. It’s possible Beck opens at Double-A Richmond, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him at High-A Eugene.
Still, there’s a chance the righty rises fast. He has the pedigree, a fourth-round pick in 2018, and the Giants will churn through starting pitchers these year, with little certainties in their rotation and little higher-up talent ready.
“The mindset for everybody here is just appreciate each day you’re at the facility,” Beck said before he was among the 25 players demoted to a minor league camp that doesn’t exist, so he’s still around. “…So many of us didn’t get to play last year. As long as we’re around some guys, we have people to work out with and we have baseball, then we’re ready to go and just get work in any way we can.”
