San Francisco Giants: Is Tyler Beede part of the 2020 rotation?

Can the San Francisco Giants really rely on Tyler Beede to hold down a rotation spot in 2020?

Besides Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija, the San Francisco Giants have lacked consistency in their starting rotation in 2019. Young arms like Shaun Anderson and Tyler Beede have shown flashes, but consistency has been nowhere to be found.

The same goes for Dereck Rodriguez, who has shown signs that he is still the same rookie stand-out from last year, but more times than not has looked like a totally different pitcher.

While Beede has been given perhaps the longest leash of any of the team’s young hurlers, his recent form suggests that the team might not be able to count on him to hold down a rotation spot in 2020.

He gave the Giants a chance to win on Monday night, allowing six hits and three runs (one earned) with zero walks and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, though he ultimately took the loss.

However, prior to that start, he had endured a rough stretch.

Prior to Monday’s start, Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News wrote the following:

“After throwing eight shutout innings against the Mets on July 19, Beede wrapped up a stretch of six starts in which he recorded 37 innings, allowed four home runs and compiled a 2.68 ERA. In the six starts since he led the Giants to a 1-0 victory over another National League Wild Card challenger, Beede has come close to losing his grip on a spot in the rotation by logging just 27.1 innings, allowing 11 home runs and posting an 8.23 ERA.”

It’s tough to overlook those numbers, and one middling start isn’t enough to erase that brutal stretch from Farhan Zaidi’s mind as he begins to consider how the rotation will line up in 2020 and beyond.

Looking at his complete body of work this year, Beede’s 4.1 BB/9 walk rate is almost as concerning as his 5.82 ERA. Walks have been a big problem for the pitching staff, and they have often set the table for big innings by the team’s opponents.

His 8.8 K/9 strikeout rate is encouraging and demonstrates that Beede truly does have the stuff to send big league hitters packing. He just needs to find a way to be more consistent as he progresses forward.

It’s tough to trust a starter who gives up four or more earned run in five consecutive starts. Teams want someone who even without his best stuff can still grind out five innings and give his team a chance to win.

As things currently stand, Beede is not that type of pitcher.

With some added experience and some further adjustments, Tyler Beede could end up being part of the San Francisco Giants rotation in 2020. That will ultimately depend quite a bit on how he performs over the final month of the season.