Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Beam lost his last two high school seasons to the pandemic (2020) and internal brace surgery on his elbow (2021), but that didn't prevent him from making an immediate impact at Tennessee. He won Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in 2022 and was the best starter on the Volunteers' College World Series team last spring. One of the most polished and consistent pitchers in the college ranks, he allowed two runs in two CWS starts as Tennessee won its first national championship in June, though his arsenal was a little less effective this year than it had been previously.

Beam would show flashes of three plus pitches in the past, but his stuff has played mostly average across the board in 2024. His best offering is a mid-80s changeup with fade and sink that works well with a fastball that operates at 93-95 mph and climbs to 98 with carry. He gets good depth on a low-80s curveball and also can mix in an upper-80s cutter to give hitters a different look.

While Beam repeats his clean delivery well and provides regular strikes with all of his offerings, he isn't missing a ton of bats. He limits the damage by generating a lot of groundball contact but his floor stands out more than his ceiling. He's one of the safest bets in this Draft to make it as a big league starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

Beam spent three years in the starting rotation at Tennessee, pitching in big moments in the Southeastern Conference and Men's College World Series. He won the national championship with the Volunteers in 2024, followed by the Royals selecting him in the third round that summer and signing him for $1,097,500. Beam was largely considered one of the most polished and consistent starters in the college ranks. He made his unofficial pro debut in the Royals’ fall instructional league at the end of ‘24 but will head to affiliate ball this year.

An effective strikethrower, Beam is all about his control. His mix plays up because of it, and he was good at limiting walks in college. Beam’s average-to-plus heater is 93-95 mph with good carry, helped along by the deceptive nature of his delivery and arm action. His mid-80s changeup has fading action to it, working well off his fastball with a chance to be a plus pitch. And Beam’s breaking ball is an upper-70s to low-80s curveball with good depth. He mixes in an upper-80s cutter that’s still a developing pitch. Beam’s delivery is clean and repeatable. His pitchability stands out, and he understands his arsenal and how to mix it even without a ton of swing-and-miss in his game.

For someone just beginning his pro career -- even as a college starter -- Beam is advanced and mature, and he should be ready for High-A right away in 2025. He has a high floor and could move quickly if his control translates to the next level. With average stuff right now, Beam’s ceiling is more limited, but he’s a good bet as a fourth or fifth starter, even more so if his stuff ticks up at all in pro ball.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

Beam lost his last two high school seasons to the pandemic (2020) and internal brace surgery on his elbow (2021), but that didn't prevent him from making an immediate impact at Tennessee. He won Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in 2022 and was the best starter on the Volunteers' College World Series team last spring. One of the most polished and consistent pitchers in the college ranks, he allowed two runs in two MCWS starts as Tennessee won its first national championship in June, though his arsenal was a little less effective this year than it had been previously. The Royals selected him in the third round in July and signed him for $1,097,500.

Beam would show flashes of three plus pitches in the past, but his stuff played mostly average across the board in 2024. His best offering is a mid-80s changeup with fade and sink that works well with a fastball that operates at 93-95 mph and climbs to 98 with carry. He gets good depth on a low-80s curveball and also can mix in an upper-80s cutter to give hitters a different look.

While Beam repeats his clean delivery well and provides regular strikes with all of his offerings, he didn’t miss a ton of bats. He limits the damage by generating a lot of ground-ball contact, but his floor stands out more than his ceiling. He was one of the safest bets in this year’s Draft to make it as a big league starter.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	04/02/2025	RHP Drew Beam assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from ACL Royals.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Drew Beam.
	08/05/2024	RHP Drew Beam assigned to ACL Royals.
	07/21/2024	Kansas City Royals signed RHP Drew Beam.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated RHP Drew Beam.
	02/06/2024	RHP Drew Beam assigned to Tennessee Volunteers.
	06/29/2023	College Workout activated RHP Drew Beam.
	06/26/2023	RHP Drew Beam assigned to USAB Stars Team.
	02/03/2023	RHP Drew Beam assigned to Tennessee Volunteers.
	07/02/2022	USAB Stripes Team activated RHP Drew Beam.
	07/02/2022	RHP Drew Beam assigned to USAB Stripes Team.
	07/01/2022	RHP Drew Beam and assigned to College Workout.
	03/01/2022	RHP Drew Beam and assigned to Tennessee Volunteers.