3 SF Giants players who will benefit from Opening Day expended rosters

3 SF Giants players who will benefit from Opening Day expended rosters

3. Tyler Beede

Giants fans have been eagerly waiting for Tyler Beede to thrive against major league hitting and there have been flashes of it. The right-handed hurler was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft out of Vanderbilt University, so he has been on the Giants' radar for some time.

Beede debuted with the Giants in 2018, but he had his most extended look in 2019. In that season, the 28-year-old pitcher registered a 5.08 ERA, 5.03 FIP, 1.48 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, and a 2.46 SO/W ratio in 117 innings.

On the surface, these were not the strongest results, but he did get better down the stretch. He posted a 3.34 ERA and a 3.28 ERA in July and September, respectively. However, this was sandwiched in between a rough August in which he struggled to the tune of a 7.25 ERA.

On the mound, Beede flashes a mid-90's fastball that generates good spin with a curveball that proved tough for opposing hitters to barrel up. It seemed like he had a shot at making the 2020 rotation, but he sustained a UCL tear in his pitching elbow that required Tommy John surgery.

The road back from major elbow surgery is often a long one. Beede made it back to the mound in 2021, but he made just one appearance in a Giants uniform. He spent the majority of the 2021 season in Triple-A, but he posted a 6.66 ERA in 16 appearances.

Pitchers can return from Tommy John surgery after 12 months, but it often takes much longer to regain their old form. Beede is approaching the two-year mark, but he might be running out of time. He has no options remaining, but the expanded roster in April should give him an extra long look.

Can he take advantage of it? That remains to be seen, but he has a good arm and needs to find a little more consistency on the mound.