Second Straight Red Raider Could be Taken in the 1st Round of MLB Draft

Clayton Beeter started off hot in 2020 with 4 appearances and a 2.14 ERA  and 33 strikeouts across 21 innings. That's after being the closer in 2019 and having 8 saves across 20 innings with 40 strikeouts. After a redshirt year, the Red Raider flamethrower is ready for the MLB draft, even though it is shaping up to be an odd draft amid shortened seasons in high school, college and professional baseball.

The MLB has already announced that the 2020 draft will be shortened from 40 rounds to just five, with everyone else getting 20K as a signing bonus after going undrafted.

The Athletic's Keith Law lists Beeter as the 28th pick to the New York Yankees:

28. New York Yankees: Clayton Beeter, RHP, Texas Tech

Beeter might not have been taken in a five-round draft in January, but came out this year throwing an absolute screaming hammer of a curveball this spring that multiple scouts have called a grade 80 pitch, along with a plus fastball and a deceptive delivery from a high slot.

Deceptive is right. It looks like Beeter is throwing about 75 mph and it hits the gun at 97. Pair that with the curveball that wipes out just about any hitter on the opposing team, and you have a legitimate prospect that is much more of a sure thing than a highschool arm that hasn't been developed like Beeter.

On Ryan Hyatt's Raiderland this week D1baseball.com's Kendall Rogers joined the program to break down how the 5 round MLB draft upcoming in June and how there might be more college players go instead of High School players who are more unproven. They also talked about college baseball's roster decisions, seniors coming back to Texas Tech and more: