Beck Way

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #13 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Way began his college career with one season at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before transferring to Northwest Florida State JC for his draft year. He ranked nationally in several categories in the abbreviated 2020 junior college season, including an impressive 13.05 strikeouts per 9 innings, after which he was picked by the Yankees in the fourth round. Way was included in a trade that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees. He finished the season at High-A Quad Cities where he struck out nearly a third of the batters he faced, posted a 30.7% strikeout rate and held opposing hitters to a .185 average in seven starts.
  
  Scouting Report: Way's fastball is a two-seamer that sits 93-95 mph with heavy sink and good life. He pairs that pitch with an 83-mph sweepy slider with potential elite horizontal break that he used more than 50 percent of the time. Way rounds out his repertoire with an 87-mph changeup that he uses infrequently. That pitch will be more effective when he gets more separation from the fastball. Way has added strength since being drafted, which has led to the quality of his pitches ticking up, and he shows a competitive edge on the mound.
  
  The Future: Way will head to Double-A in 2023. With the fastball and slider both above-average pitches, he may be suited for a bullpen role as he gets closer to the big leagues. If the changeup develops and he improves the command of his pitches, he's got the frame to be a durable back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #25 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Way started his career at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before moving to Northwest Florida State JC in his draft year, which was limited to 40 innings because of the pandemic. He spent his first official season as a pro between both Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Way relies mainly on a mix of four- and two-seam fastballs, as well as a slider and changeup. He also added a cutter during the remote-training sessions during the 2020 shutdown. His slider is by far his most commonly used pitch, thrown nearly as often as all three of his fastballs combined. The slider is a sweepy pitch, with a nearly elite 14 inches of horizontal break and a swing-and-miss rate of 50%. Way’s sinker and four-seamer each averaged between roughly 94-95 mph, and the four-seamer showed exceptional horizontal break at the top of the zone. Way’s changeup is still a bit of a work in progress and needs to show more separation from his fastballs to be more effective. His extremely loose arm and slinger action led to command and control issues, and he got crushed in a small sample at High-A.
  
  The Future: Way will likely return to High-A to begin 2022, and has the stuff to carve out a role as a reliever. To do so, he’ll need to greatly improve his ability to throw quality strikes.
  
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #16 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Way started his college career at Division II Belmont Abbey before transferring to Northwest Florida State. He sat out 2019 because of the move, then struck out 58 hitters in 40 innings before the season was shut down by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Yankees took Way in the fourth round, he was actually their second pick after losing their second- and third-round choices to the Astros as compensation for signing Gerrit Cole. He was one of the best junior college prospects on the board.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Way brings a three-pitch mix, started with an expertly commanded four-seam fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97. He backs it up with a potentially plus changeup and an inconsistent but intriguing slider. He meshes all three together with above-average control, which should allow him to move relatively quickly.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Yankees' lack of domestic instructional league meant Way won't debut until 2021, when he could begin at a Class A level. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #84 prospect in 2020 draft
  The top junior college prospect in a fairly deep class at the level, Way is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander who showed really good stuff last summer in the Cape Cod League. While he threw just 13.2 innings for Cotuit last summer, Way impressed scouts enough by striking out 18 batters and posting a 3.29 ERA that some evaluators put him in the second-to-third-round range on his summer look alone. This spring with Northwest Florida JC, Way continued to impress, showing better control and a solid fastball/changeup combination. Way gets up to 96-97 mph with the fastball, though the pitch more typically sits in the 92-94 range. He creates uncomfortable at-bats due to his ability to spot his fastball in all four quadrants of the zone and he disrupts the timing of batters thanks to a plus changeup with exceptional tumbling action. Way’s slider is more inconsistent than his fastball and changeup, but it has shown flashes of being an average third offering. With two plus pitches, a good frame and above-average control, Way has put himself in position to be taken in the second round or slightly after.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Way began his college career with one season at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before transferring to Northwest Florida State JC for his draft year. He ranked nationally in several categories in the abbreviated 2020 junior college season, including an impressive 13.05 strikeouts per 9 innings, after which he was picked by the Yankees in the fourth round. Way was included in a trade that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees. He finished the season at High-A Quad Cities where he struck out nearly a third of the batters he faced, posted a 30.7% strikeout rate and held opposing hitters to a .185 average in seven starts.
  
  Scouting Report: Way's fastball is a two-seamer that sits 93-95 mph with heavy sink and good life. He pairs that pitch with an 83-mph sweepy slider with potential elite horizontal break that he used more than 50 percent of the time. Way rounds out his repertoire with an 87-mph changeup that he uses infrequently. That pitch will be more effective when he gets more separation from the fastball. Way has added strength since being drafted, which has led to the quality of his pitches ticking up, and he shows a competitive edge on the mound.
  
  The Future: Way will head to Double-A in 2023. With the fastball and slider both above-average pitches, he may be suited for a bullpen role as he gets closer to the big leagues. If the changeup develops and he improves the command of his pitches, he's got the frame to be a durable back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Way began his college career with one season at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before transferring to Northwest Florida State JC for his draft year. He ranked nationally in several categories in the abbreviated 2020 junior college season, including an impressive 13.05 strikeouts per 9 innings, after which he was picked by the Yankees in the fourth round. Way was included in a trade that sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees. He finished the season at High-A Quad Cities where he struck out nearly a third of the batters he faced, posted a 30.7% strikeout rate and held opposing hitters to a .185 average in seven starts.
  
  Scouting Report: Way's fastball is a two-seamer that sits 93-95 mph with heavy sink and good life. He pairs that pitch with an 83-mph sweepy slider with potential elite horizontal break that he used more than 50 percent of the time. Way rounds out his repertoire with an 87-mph changeup that he uses infrequently. That pitch will be more effective when he gets more separation from the fastball. Way has added strength since being drafted, which has led to the quality of his pitches ticking up, and he shows a competitive edge on the mound.
  
  The Future: Way will head to Double-A in 2023. With the fastball and slider both above-average pitches, he may be suited for a bullpen role as he gets closer to the big leagues. If the changeup develops and he improves the command of his pitches, he's got the frame to be a durable back-end starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  August Update: Way was the Yankees&#39 fourth-rounder from the shortened 2020 draft, out of Northwest Florida State JC. He works with a three-pitch mix fronted by a heavy sinker and sweepy slider in the low-to-mid 90s. His changeup still needs further development, as does his overall consistency and command. Way also got stronger over the offseason, which has helped his repertoire tick up year over year. He&#39s likely a reliever in the long run, but if he can make improvements to his deficiencies he can fit toward the back of a bullpen and get important outs. He was traded with Chandler Champlain and TJ Sikkema as part of the deal to get Andrew Benintendi to New York.
  
  Track Record: Way started his career at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before moving to Northwest Florida State JC in his draft year, which was limited to 40 innings because of the pandemic. He spent his first official season as a pro between both Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Way relies mainly on a mix of four- and two-seam fastballs, as well as a slider and changeup. He also added a cutter during the remote-training sessions during the 2020 shutdown. His slider is by far his most commonly used pitch, thrown nearly as often as all three of his fastballs combined. The slider is a sweepy pitch, with a nearly elite 14 inches of horizontal break and a swing-and-miss rate of 50%. Way&#39s sinker and four-seamer each averaged between roughly 94-95 mph, and the four-seamer showed exceptional horizontal break at the top of the zone. Way&#39s changeup is still a bit of a work in progress and needs to show more separation from his fastballs to be more effective. His extremely loose arm and slinger action led to command and control issues, and he got crushed in a small sample at High-A.
  
  The Future: Way will likely return to High-A to begin 2022, and has the stuff to carve out a role as a reliever. To do so, he&#39ll need to greatly improve his ability to throw quality strikes.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Way started his career at Division II Belmont-Abbey (N.C.) before moving to Northwest Florida State JC in his draft year, which was limited to 40 innings because of the pandemic. He spent his first official season as a pro between both Class A levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Way relies mainly on a mix of four- and two-seam fastballs, as well as a slider and changeup. He also added a cutter during the remote-training sessions during the 2020 shutdown. His slider is by far his most commonly used pitch, thrown nearly as often as all three of his fastballs combined. The slider is a sweepy pitch, with a nearly elite 14 inches of horizontal break and a swing-and-miss rate of 50%. Way’s sinker and four-seamer each averaged between roughly 94-95 mph, and the four-seamer showed exceptional horizontal break at the top of the zone. Way’s changeup is still a bit of a work in progress and needs to show more separation from his fastballs to be more effective. His extremely loose arm and slinger action led to command and control issues, and he got crushed in a small sample at High-A.
  
  The Future: Way will likely return to High-A to begin 2022, and has the stuff to carve out a role as a reliever. To do so, he’ll need to greatly improve his ability to throw quality strikes.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Way started his college career at Division II Belmont Abbey before transferring to Northwest Florida State. He sat out 2019 because of the move, then struck out 58 hitters in 40 innings before the season was shut down by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Yankees took Way in the fourth round, he was actually their second pick after losing their second- and third-round choices to the Astros as compensation for signing Gerrit Cole. He was one of the best junior college prospects on the board.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Way brings a three-pitch mix, started with an expertly commanded four-seam fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97. He backs it up with a potentially plus changeup and an inconsistent but intriguing slider. He meshes all three together with above-average control, which should allow him to move relatively quickly.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Yankees' lack of domestic instructional league meant Way won't debut until 2021, when he could begin at a Class A level. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Way started his college career at Division II Belmont Abbey before transferring to Northwest Florida State. He sat out 2019 because of the move, then struck out 58 hitters in 40 innings before the season was shut down by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Yankees took Way in the fourth round, he was actually their second pick after losing their second- and third-round choices to the Astros as compensation for signing Gerrit Cole. He was one of the best junior college prospects on the board.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Way brings a three-pitch mix, started with an expertly commanded four-seam fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97. He backs it up with a potentially plus changeup and an inconsistent but intriguing slider. He meshes all three together with above-average control, which should allow him to move relatively quickly.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Yankees' lack of domestic instructional league meant Way won't debut until 2021, when he could begin at a Class A level. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Way started his college career at Division II Belmont Abbey before transferring to Northwest Florida State. He sat out 2019 because of the move, then struck out 58 hitters in 40 innings before the season was shut down by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Though the Yankees took Way in the fourth round, he was actually their second pick after losing their second- and third-round choices to the Astros as compensation for signing Gerrit Cole. He was one of the best junior college prospects on the board.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Way brings a three-pitch mix, started with an expertly commanded four-seam fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and touches 97. He backs it up with a potentially plus changeup and an inconsistent but intriguing slider. He meshes all three together with above-average control, which should allow him to move relatively quickly.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Yankees' lack of domestic instructional league meant Way won't debut until 2021, when he could begin at a Class A level. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.