Beck seeking breakout with Rox after debut season cut short

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Outfielder Jordan Beck kicked down the door to the Majors last season and earned his Rockies debut on April 30. Almost a year later, Beck can still make his grand entrance.

Beck, drafted 38th overall out of Tennessee in 2022, blew through Triple-A Albuquerque (.319, 8 HR, 35 RBI in 39 games). But a broken left hand that cost him three months, wrist pain when he returned, and difficulty finding timing against Major League pitching all conspired to make his impact minimal (.188, 3 HR, 13 RBI in 55 games). However, Beck enters camp with the chance to claim regular starts in right field.

Beck walked away from the experience confident that the new start will be the true start of his Major League impact.

¡°It gives you a feel for what to look for going into the next season,¡± said Beck, who turns 24 on April 19. ¡°You get to see a lot more pitchers than you¡¯ve ever seen before. You see new ballparks, you see new places. It gives you confidence.¡±

In Friday¡¯s 12-8 Cactus League-opening victory over the Diamondbacks, Beck went 0-for-2 with a walk, during which he laced two pitches foul. The walk came in the buildup to a grand slam from Brenton Doyle on the first pitch of his fourth-inning at-bat. Doyle is trying to solidify the leadoff spot in the Rockies¡¯ order.

Beck flashed his potential with a dominant game at San Diego on May 15 -- 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and five RBIs.

¡°Everything was syncing up that day,¡± Beck said.

But on May 25, Beck sustained a broken fourth metacarpal bone in his left hand, and his timing never recovered. The high Draft status and quick rise through the system suggest Beck can reach stardom. But to do so, he¡¯ll have to hit the Major League fastball. Last year, he finished with a 30.3 percent whiff rate on heaters.

¡°I¡¯ve hit at all levels before, so I think it¡¯s just a little bit of adjustment,¡± Beck said. ¡°Once you get on time for fastballs and adjust to other stuff, then you¡¯ll be good.¡±

Maybe it¡¯s all in his now-healthy hand.

¡°The complete player is interesting to us,¡± Rockies manager Bud Black said. ¡°He¡¯s a good defender, can run, has power and we think he can hit for average. The skill set is there. He¡¯s projectable to get better. We like the makeup, the work ethic, the confidence, the poise ¨C the ingredients of a good player.¡±

HE LIKES IT!
In 14 career games at Coors Field, newly signed left-hander Scott Alexander has a 1.46 ERA and a .182 batting average against, and he has not given up a home run in 12 1/3 innings. There¡¯s no fear of pitching at altitude. Alexander pitched for the Athletics last season and broke in with the Royals, but the bulk of his career was spent in the National League West with the Dodgers (2018-21) and Giants (2022-23).

¡°It¡¯s definitely one of my favorite places to play -- I¡¯ve always enjoyed playing there,¡± Alexander said. ¡°Obviously, the elevation is a big deal. It does make a difference. But I know there¡¯s nothing you can do about it when you¡¯re there. So just lock it in. Throwing strikes and keeping the ball down is what I¡¯ve done whenever I¡¯ve pitched there.¡±

TOP PICK SHOWCASES
Righty Gabriel Hughes, the Rockies¡¯ 2022 first-round Draft pick out of Gonzaga, will start Saturday against the Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields. Hughes, who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023, will be making his first Cactus League appearance since his '23 Rockies Spring Training debut -- a scoreless outing against the Dodgers. Hughes returned for the Arizona Fall League and is getting a long look in camp.

¡°There are some things we¡¯re going to iron out with the delivery,¡± Black said. ¡°But as long as he¡¯s healthy, getting on the mound and accumulating innings, he¡¯s going to be where he needs to be.¡±

Also, Chase Dollander, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 25 overall prospect and the Rockies' first-rounder in 2023 out of Tennessee, is scheduled for his Cactus League debut Monday against the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.