Eric Beattie
| IP | 77 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 8.065 |
| WHIP | 2.247 |
| BB/9 | 13.675 |
| SO/9 | 7.714 |
- Full name Eric William Beattie
- Born 04/02/1983 in Valrico, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tampa
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Drafted in the 2nd round (43rd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2004 (signed for $800,000).
View Draft Report
One scout says Beattie's fastball and command of it are so good, he could pitch with it in Double-A right now. He's the rare college pitcher who can pitch off the fastball and command it to all quadrants of the plate, and he's confident enough with the 88-92 mph pitch to go inside on hitters and tie them up. At the Division II level, which he led with 15 wins in 2003, and in the Cape Cod League, where he led the league with a 0.39 ERA last summer, he overmatched hitters using his fastball, which has plus sinking action, and slider. Some scouts would like to see more of a third pitch. They agree Beattie's competitiveness and clean arm action are major assets, and that he has a sound feel for his craft.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Beattie topped NCAA Division II with 15 victories in 2003, but he really caught scouts' attention by dominating the Cape Cod League that summer. He led the Cape with a 0.39 ERA, the second-lowest in league history, and won pitcher-of-the-year honors. After a strong junior year at Tampa, he went in the second round and signed late in the summer for $800,000. He didn't see any game action for the Tigers, instead joining them for instructional league. While Detroit expected Beattie to be rusty, his control was so poor that it was scary. As an amateur, Beattie had shown excellent command of an 88-92 mph sinker, locating it at will and keeping it down in the zone. He backed it up with an effective slider that he also threw for strikes. He had shown much more feel than 2004 first-rounder Justin Verlander, and the Tigers are waiting anxiously to see if Beattie can regain it. Once he does, his main points of emphasis will be to improve his changeup and not overthrow when he gets into jams. Detroit originally thought Beattie could make his pro debut in high Class A, but where he starts will depend on how he looks in spring training.
