It was an up-and-down season for the 2022 draft pick that ended with him earning a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk.
A changing of the guard is underway in the Orioles outfield. Austin Hays was traded this past season, Anthony Santander is about to become a free agent, and Cedric Mullins is entering his final year of arbitration. It’s possible that by Opening Day 2026, a full-on youth movement has taken place on the grass. If it does, Dylan Beavers could be a key component.
The Orioles selected Beavers 33rd overall in the 2022 draft out of the University of California, Berkeley. At the time, he was considered to have five-tool upside, some swing-and-miss concerns, and the ability to play all three outfield positions. Two years into his professional career, not much has changed.
Beavers began 2024 right where he ended 2023, in Double-A Bowie. He had wrapped up his 2023 season with an impressive 34-game showing for the Baysox. In that time he had slashed .321/.417/.478 with two home runs and a 150 wRC+. It was encouraging, but not enough for him to move on from Double-A just yet. The O’s sent him back to the level this past season, and Beavers found it to be more of a challenge.
After a hot April (.329/.415/.471), Beavers seems to have undergone some changes while attempting to unlock more power. In May, he smacked five homers and improved to a .481 slugging percentage while walking at a similar rate. But his average dipped to .221 while his strikeouts sky rocketed (16 in April, 29 in May). That’s not a bad trade off, provided that it continues throughout the season.
But growth is not always linear. Beavers slumped in June, hitting .180/.284/.315 with just two home runs. He improved to .243/.313/.400 in July with another pair of homers and only seven walks to 21 strikeouts. August was an improvement in the on-base department (.362 OBP), but power lagged back to a .318 slugging percentage. It was in September where things finally started to click.
Over 17 games in the season’s final month, Beavers posted a .283/.348/.517 slash line with three home runs, three doubles, and a triple. The five walks to 21 strikeouts was not ideal, but it came along with what seemed to be a better approach overall.
September included a promotion to Triple-A Norfolk, where Beavers appeared in six games for the O’s top affiliate. He went 5-for-20 with a double, one walk, and 10 strikeouts. Clearly, there is work to be done, but it also gives both the player and the organization a starting point for 2025.
Beavers’ final line for the entire season was .242/.342/.408 with 15 home runs, 20 doubles, five triples, and 68 walks to 125 strikeouts. FanGraphs calculated a 118 wRC+ for Beavers during his time in Double-A this season, solidly above the league average, but not screaming for a promotion the way he was in late 2023.
According to scouting reports, that is the Beavers experience on full display. MLB Pipeline describes Beavers as “polished” and worthy of comps to Christian Yelich at times, but he is also notorious for being “streaky” and experiencing “timing issues that lead to slumps.”
Strikeout rates get cited quite a bit in Beavers scouting reports as a ding against him. He certainly gets set down strikes, but it’s not egregious. He struck out on 22.6% of plate appearances for Double-A this season, but he balanced that with a 13.2% walk rate. Those sorts of numbers, even if you bake in some expected major league inflation to the whiffs, don’t scream problematic. But it is in the area where you need to bring some pop with it.
Another element of Beavers’ offensive game is his running ability. He moves well for anyone, but is particularly quick for someone that is 6-foot-4. That has allowed him to make an impact on the bases in the professional ranks. He swiped 27 bags in 2023, but was caught 10 times as well. In 2024, he improved in both volume and efficiency, collecting 31 stolen bases on 34 attempts. Should he make it to the big leagues and get enough playing time, there is reason to believe he is 20-20 hitter, at least.
Beavers has experience at four different defensive positions. Right field has been his primary spot as a pro, but he also gets regular innings in center and left, and the organization introduced him to first base in 2024. FanGraphs gave the following assessment of his glovework: “Beavers is passable in center field, quite good in the outfield corners, and he’s begun to play first base (where he’s crude).” By all accounts, Beavers moves as well in the field as he does on the bases, and features an above average throwing arm.
While the overall approaches may be different, Beavers does not sound like a huge departure from what the Orioles have in Colton Cowser. Two young, left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing athletic outfielders with strikeout concerns but five-tool upside. If they both live up to their potential, that could be a pretty potent corner outfield pairing.
For now, Beavers is likely destined for a return to Triple-A to begin 2025, whether that is with the Orioles or elsewhere. Beavers isn’t Rule 5-eligible until next offseason, so there is no urgency to make a move. But the Orioles have a log jam coming in the outfield, including Beavers, Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, and the quickly rising Enrique Bradfield Jr. that will need to be alleviated at some point. And they are said to be going into this offseason with an aggressive mindset focused on making an impact in the playoffs. That could put trades involving intriguing talents like Beavers on the table.
Previous 2024 prospect reviews: Heston Kjerstad, Frederick Bencosme, Justin Armbruester, Leandro Arias, Brandon Young, Creed Willems, Trace Bright, Braylin Tavera, Michael Forret, Thomas Sosa, 2024 draft picks, Aron Estrada, Alex Pham, Luis De Léon, Patrick Reilly
Tomorrow: Enrique Bradfield Jr.