HOUSTON — While Clayton Beeter is a Texan, his native Fort Worth and Colleyville residence aren’t exactly close to Minute Maid Park. Any family traveling from those areas had to journey over 260 miles, or about four hours, to see the pitcher’s major league debut on Friday.
If they blinked, they may have missed the performance after their long journey.
“I think I broke more of a sweat from getting warm in the bullpen than the game,” said Beeter, who needed just three pitches to retire the Astros in the ninth inning of a 7-1 win for the Yankees.
The pitching prospect pulled that off despite giving up a hit — and having to face the top of Houston’s lineup.
“I loved it,” Boone said, noting that Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker made for a daunting introduction. “Welcome to the big leagues.”
Added Beeter: “I had a good amount of time to get ready. So I felt like I wasn’t rushed or anything and my mind wasn’t racing as much as I thought it would be.”
Altuve kicked Beeter’s career off with a single, but an Alvarez grounder led to an out at second base. Shortstop Anthony Volpe then sailed a throw to Anthony Rizzo. The ball got by the first baseman, though not far enough for Alvarez to advance.
Still, the slugger made the slightest movement toward second. Rizzo saw and tagged Alvarez out before he could return to first.
“That’s Rizz,” Boone said. “Rizz loves to play the game within the game. He’s really good at that. Those are the things he always notices.”
WHAT A DOUBLE PLAY AS ANTHONY RIZZO CATCHES YORDAN ALVAREZ SLEEPING pic.twitter.com/qOxZMi9Vyz
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) March 30, 2024
From there, Tucker flew out to center, and Beeter’s first pitching line entered the MLB record books.
“I feel like I’m here because my stuff is good enough to face those kinds of guys,” Beeter said of Houston’s All-Stars. “And I like the challenge of seeing how it plays.”
Boone agreed with that assessment, insisting that “his stuff plays” at the big league level. The knocks on Beeter had more to do with his command, but the 25-year-old, acquired in the trade that sent Joey Gallo to the Dodgers, demonstrated improvement during spring training.
With a 3.18 ERA, six walks and 17 strikeouts over 17 innings, Beeter earned a spot in the Yankees’ Opening Day bullpen. The team still wants to develop him as a starter, but he can provide length in relief (even if that wasn’t necessary on Friday).
“He’s got deception and he’s got really good stuff,” Boone said. “He threw strikes better this spring to a point that we trust him in that role.”
A little while after Beeter’s debut came to a quick end, he met up with his mom and dad.
“They were just speechless,” said Beeter, who noted that his cheering section exceeded his parents. “My mom was crying and just very happy for me.”
While that moment stood out, Beeter said that he will remember his teammates’ reactions the most from his debut.
Having Austin Wells, another rookie, behind the plate helped him settle in. Others, meanwhile, were waiting with congratulatory hugs after the effortless outing.
“It just feels like the team chemistry here is really good,” Beeter said. “They make me feel like I’m a very big part of this.”
