Jairo Beras
| IP | 111 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.919 |
| WHIP | 1.514 |
| BB/9 | 6.243 |
| SO/9 | 10.541 |
- Full name Jairo Angel Beras
- Born 12/25/1994 in San Pedro De Macoria, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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When the Collective Bargaining Agreement went into place in December 2011, it included new international bonus pools designed to limit spending that would begin on July 2, 2012. Beras originally presented himself as a 16-year-old eligible to sign in 2012, but instead he signed with the Rangers for $4.5 million in February 2012, claiming he was really 17 and thus eligible to sign immediately. Shortly after July 2, Major League Baseball ruled Beras' age was "undetermined," but allowed the contract to stand. Beras struggled at high Class A High Desert for most of 2016, until he caught fire late and hit .308/.361/.692 in his final 29 games. Tall and lanky, he has plus raw power but gets himself out by swinging through breaking balls and expanding the strike zone. At the end of the season, Beras made an adjustment to put his hands and his body in better position, starting with a more upright stance instead of bending over from the top, allowing him to track pitches better. A below-average runner, he has a plus arm in right field but doesn't defend his position well because of a mix of puzzling routes and mental miscues. He should advance to Double-A Frisco in 2017. -
Beras originally presented himself to teams as a 16-year-old eligible to sign on July 2, 2012. When the new Collective Bargaining Agreement put bonus pools in place designed to limit international spending, Beras changed his date of birth, claiming he was born one year earlier, thus making him a 17-year-old eligible to sign immediately, which he did for $4.5 million in February 2012. Shortly after July 2, 2012, Major League Baseball ruled that Beras' age is undetermined and approved the signing. Beras had to serve a one-year suspension, which essentially amounted to a couple of weeks of missed games. Beras has shown above-average power and improvement as a hitter, batting .303/.343/.457 in 63 games in the second half, as well as improvement with his maturity and professionalism. His long arms leave him with holes in his swing, particularly on the inner third, but he did a better job in 2015 of using the whole field and improved his breaking ball recognition, though he still swings at too many pitches. He has a plus arm in right field, but his reads and routes need to improve. Beras should move up to high Class A for 2016. -
As an amateur, Beras had presented himself to major league teams as a 16-year-old eligible to sign on July 2, 2012. Shortly after the Collective Bargaining Agreement put restrictions on international signings through bonus pools set to begin on that date, Beras changed his date of birth, claiming he was in fact born one year earlier, making him 17 and eligible to sign immediately. The Rangers signed him for $4.5 million in February 2012, triggering controversy around baseball. Shortly after July 2, 2012, Major League Baseball announced that the signing would stand, but that Beras must serve a one-year suspension, which amounted to a slap on the wrist and essentially just a couple weeks of missed games. Even if Beras is a few years older, he has a promising combination of size and tools, though he remains unrefined. He has plus raw power, though he's still learning to generate more loft. He has a large strike zone to cover, can get tied up inside because of his long arms and needs to stop chasing breaking balls. He made strides at low Class A Hickory in 2014 as the season went along by keeping his weight back when he separated his hands, keeping his head locked to help him track pitches better. Beras surprises people with average speed, and that, with his plus arm, give him the ingredients to be a become a good defender in right. Beras likely follows the Nomar Mazara path, returning to Hickory in 2015 in the hopes he can have a breakout season. -
Beras was at the center of one of the biggest controversies in international baseball when he signed with the Rangers for $4.5 million in 2012. Following news that massive signing restrictions for international amateurs were coming down the pike in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, Beras and his representatives presented teams with a new birthdate, making Beras one year older than previously advertised. That made him 17 and thus eligible to sign in February before the new $2.9 million bonus pools for international signings went into effect in July. MLB ruled that Beras' age was undetermined and made the unusual decision to suspend him for one year for lying about his age while allowing his contract to stand. After missing the first week of the Rookie-level Arizona League season in 2013 while on suspension, he played for just a few weeks before a broken hamate bone ended his season in July. The 6-foot-6 Beras shows plus raw power when he gets his long arms extended, though he's also an aggressive hitter prone to getting tied up inside and is still learning to get more lift and use the whole field. He runs well for someone his size, and his strong arm fits well in right field, though the Rangers may try him in center field in 2014. Much is still unknown about Beras, and the injury only adds to his high-risk, high-reward profile. The Rangers' recent track record with toolsy outfielders suggests he's destined for low Class A Hickory. -
The Rangers have signed many of the organization's top prospects as international amateurs, yet as of March 2011 the most they had committed to any one of them was $1.55 million to Jurickson Profar in 2009. Anticipating changes to the signing protocol, Texas drastically altered its operating procedure in 2011, doling out three of the four largest bonuses ever for international amateurs in the span of eight months. They spent a combined $8.4 million to sign Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman in July 2011, and $4.5 million (a sum eclipsed only by Mazara) in February 2012 to sign Beras. Following an investigation, Major League Baseball determined that he had presented two different birthdates to clubs and suspended him for one year. By claiming to be 17 instead of 16, he effectively circumvented the new budgetary restrictions that kicked in when the international signing period started on July 2. MLB approved his contract, however, and allowed him to participate in instructional league and extended spring training. Like Mazara and Guzman, Beras is both immense and immensely talented. He's a 6-foot-6 right fielder who projects to hit for prototype corner power and possibly for average. Texas hasn't done much at this stage to alter his hitting mechanics. He doesn't project to offer much in the way of speed or project as much more than an average defender, though he does have a strong arm. Beras probably will follow Mazara and Guzman's path and make his U.S. debut in the Arizona League once he's reinstated on July 1.
Minor League Top Prospects
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One of the most prominent signees of the 2012 international signing period, Beras' climb has had enough setbacks that it's worth remembering he still is just 20. He was suspended for a year for an age discrepancy at the start of his career, and he returned to Hickory for a second straight season in 2015 to try to catch up to a league that was too fast for him last year. Beras had to wait until June to really get going in the SAL because his first two months were slowed by a quad injury. Once he returned to full-time work he demonstrated an improved ability to use the whole field and better recognition of breaking balls. Beras still has a ways to go at the plate, but he's also got plus power potential that he's just starting to tap into. He's long-limbed and 6-foot-5, however, so he's always going to struggle with being tied up by inside pitches. His arm is excellent in right field but his defense continues to need to improve. -
The international market?s most intriguing story in 2012 centered on the Rangers? signing of Beras for a $4.5 million bonus after Major League Baseball could not confirm a true birthdate for the talented outfielder. Beras was ruled ineligible to play in official games for one year, delaying his AZL debut until early July, and then his season ended later that month after he broke a hamate bone. Opinions on Beras? long-term potential vary widely among observers. No one questions his raw ability. All five tools grade at least average, but he?s the league?s ultimate high-risk, high-reward prospect. The biggest question is how well he?ll hit, with one observer believing he?s got a swing suited better for showcases than in-game potential. But those who believe in Beras compare him to a young Juan Gonzalez. Beras is tall and extremely slender, with long arms that can get extended, giving him plus raw power. He has a decent approach at the plate and isn?t a strictly pull hitter. He showed the ability to hit curveballs as well as turn on fastballs. His range in right field and arm strength both grade as above-average, but he needs to improve his instincts in the field. ?He could be a very special player for the organization down the road,? the Rangers? Holmberg said. ?Give him a little credit for being so young. He?s still learning, and he loves to play the game.?
