Jordan Beck gets drafted by the Rockies with the 38th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft

Beck in the Colorado altitude — what a tremendous fit

Jordan Beck was the second Tennessee Vol off MLB draft boards, as the Colorado Rockies took him with the 38th overall selection.

Beck, age 21 and in his junior season at Tennessee, was a center piece of the Vols’ historically-potent offense in 2022 and regularly flashed a cannon arm from his spot in right field.

He slashed .298/.391/.986, finished tied for third on the team in home runs (18) and in RBIs (61), tied for second on the team in triples (three) and raised his batting average by more than 20 points from last year.

Speaking of last year — that’s when it seemed like scouts really began to take notice, and Beck began popping up as a day-one selection on various mock drafts. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he’s got the frame to back up the power numbers and runs well for a player his size. Along those lines: a term you’re likely to hear — toolsy. He’s big and fast, and he throws and hits hard. Those kinda guys don’t grow on trees. But his bat is absolutely the main draw here. Peep this bomb from the ‘21 season:

That kinda power, in Colorado — where the thin air is ideal for dingers — **chefs kiss**

The knock on Beck — one that’s common among power hitters — is his plate discipline. He struck out more times than he walked in each of his three seasons at UT and notably didn’t improve his strike-out rate during his time as a Vol. I’m taking out his 2020 numbers, as the season was shortened by COVID, in the interest of sample-size equivalency.

2021: 258 ABs, 24 BBs, 60 Ks, .271 average

2022: 252 ABs, 37 BBs, 62 Ks, .298 average

So the walks went up — but how much of that could be at-least partially attributed to Tennessee’s stacked line up around him? And his whiff rate actually got worse, as Vol fans saw Beck swing at bad pitches, frequently.

In the grand scheme of things, I’m pretty “meh,” on how big a concern K rate is. Beck’s power is so alluring, and he’s got a pretty short swing for such a big dude. There’s work to be done, yes, but if he puts it together — watch out.

There were rumors that the Rockies liked Beck enough to take him at No. 10 with their first selection. Obviously, he ended up dropping, but Colorado’s gotta be stoked to get a guy they were high on at pick 38.

Maybe worth mentioning: Tennessee’s had some success with professional players, of various sports, in Colorado: Todd Helton, Peyton Manning, Al Wilson, AJ Johnson, plus more I’ve surely missed.

I’m sure Beck’s likely a bit disappointed he slid some in the draft, but it seems like this is a good match for both parties.