Position: 1B
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: 09/18/1996
College: Clemson University
Drafted: 1st Round, 28th Overall, 2018 (Astros)
How Acquired: Rule 5 Draft, Minor League Phase (from Diamondbacks)
Bonus: $2,250,000
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2024
Options Left: 2
Overview
Houston drafted Beer in the first round in 2018 due to his power. There were some questions about his hit tool at the time, but he’s usually hit for good averages as a pro. He’s had passable walk rates and his K rates have been passable. Beer rated among the Astros’, and after a trade the Diamondbacks’, top prospects without ranking near the very top. He reached the majors in 2021 but his visit was almost immediately cut short by a separated shoulder. Beer doesn’t run well. He’s played first more than anywhere else, but he’s also spent time in the outfield corners. He’s regarded as subpar in both spots. The Pirates acquired Beer in the minor league Rule 5 draft.
2018-20
Beer reached AA quickly. In his draft year, he went through three levels and reached High Class A. He put up a .746 OPS there after a .943 figure in Low A. In 2019, Houston sent him to High A and he put up a 1.016 OPS there in a little over a month, so the Astros moved him up to AA, where he had a .950 OPS through the end of July. At that point, Houston sent him to Arizona as part of a deadline package for Zack Greinke. He didn’t hit well in AA with the Diamondbacks. Beer didn’t play during the pandemic season.
2021-24
The D’backs sent Beer to AAA in 2021 and he hit 287/398/511. Arizona called him up in September, but in his fifth game he suffered a separated shoulder. Beer opened the 2022 season with Arizona, but he struggled and was sent to AAA in mid-May. He spent most of the rest of the season there. In 38 games in the majors, he hit 189/278/243. His OPS in AAA was .816, which was below his previous levels. Early in the 2023 season Arizona outrighted Beer off the 40-man roster. He struggled through the end of April, with a .580 OPS, and Arizona sent him to AA.
The Pirates selected Beer in the minor league Rule 5 draft in December 2023. He divided his 2024 season between Altoona and Indianapolis. As a 27-year-old, bat-first player in AA, he hit a subpar 281/366/397. After a June promotion to Indy, he hit better, mainly in the form of more power. He batted 272/339/475 with eight home runs in 44 games. Some of the difference may have been attributable to the International League having a .763 OPS, compared to a norm of .689 in the Eastern League. At both stops, Beer split his time evenly between first and DH.
Stats
Transactions
June 4, 2018: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1st round, 28th overall pick; signed on June 13.
July 31, 2019: Traded by the Houston Astros with Corbin Martin, J.B. Bukauskas and Josh Rojas to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Zack Greinke.
September 10, 2021: Contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
May 9, 2023: Outrighted to AAA by the Arizona Diamondbacks.