Jalen Christopher Beeks (born July 10, 1993) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

, and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...

. The Red Sox selected Beeks in the 12th round of the

2014 MLB draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

, and he made his MLB debut for them in 2018.

Career

Amateur career

Beeks attended Prairie Grove High School in Prairie Grove, Arkansas. He played for the school's baseball team and graduated in 2011. He enrolled at Crowder College, and transferred to the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville. The University of Arkans ...

. A reliable reliever during the 2013 season, Beeks allowed the game-tying and go-ahead runs on consecutive

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third st ...

es during an intentional walk in the 7th inning against the Kansas State Wildcats in the Manhattan Regional. The Razorbacks were eliminated from the postseason following the 4–3 loss. After the 2013 season, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Harwich Mariners The Harwich Mariners are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Harwich, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Mariners play their home games at Whitehouse Fiel ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

, and was named a league all-star. Beeks returned to Arkansas for the 2014 season as the opening day starter, starting 13 games with a 6–4 record and 1.98

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA).

Boston Red Sox

The

drafted Beeks in the 12th round, with the 374th overall selection, of the

2014 Major League Baseball draft The 2014 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 5 through June 7, 2014, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The first two rounds were conducted on June 5, followed by rounds three through ten on June 6, and the last 30 round ...

. He signed and made his debut that same year for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox, pitching five scoreless innings. In 2015, he pitched for the Greenville Drive of the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its h ...

, where he had a 9–7 win–loss record with a 4.32

(ERA) in 26 starts, and in 2016, he pitched both for the

Salem Red Sox The Salem Red Sox are a Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB), based in Salem, Virginia, Salem, an independent city adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia. The team competes at the Single-A level in the Car ...

of the

High-A High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

and

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League (1938–present), Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red ...

of the Double-A Eastern League, compiling a combined 9–8 record and 3.87 ERA in 26 starts. In 2017, Beeks played for Portland and the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. The Red Sox named him their Minor League Pitcher of the Year after he posted a combined 11–8 record, 3.29 ERA, and 1.21 WHIP in 26 games started between the two teams. The Red Sox added Beeks to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, an ...

after the 2017 season, in order to protect him from the

Rule 5 draft The Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball (MLB) player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor lea ...

. He began the 2018 season with Pawtucket. Beeks was promoted to Boston's active roster on June 7, 2018, in order to make his MLB debut in a start against the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...

. Beeks gave up five first-inning runs and took the loss; he was optioned back to Pawtucket the next day. Beeks was recalled to Boston on July 10; he pitched innings that day, allowing four hits and three runs, and was then returned to Triple-A.

Tampa Bay Rays

On July 25, 2018, the Red Sox traded Beeks to the

in exchange for right-handed

Nathan Eovaldi Nathan Edward Eovaldi ( ; born February 13, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Mar ...

. With the Rays, Beeks made 12 appearances through the end of the season, compiling a 5–0 record with a 4.47 ERA and 37 strikeouts in innings. Beeks began the 2019 season with Tampa Bay. He was optioned to the Triple-A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

on June 28, and was recalled on July 16. He finished the season with a 6–3 record, 4.31 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 89 strikeouts over innings at the MLB level. On August 25, 2020, Beeks tore his ulnar collateral ligament while pitching against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

, ending his season and requiring

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...

. On February 17, 2021, Beeks was placed on the 60-day injured list as he continued to recover from Tommy John surgery. On March 22, 2022, Beeks signed a $750,000 contract with the Rays, avoiding salary arbitration. On June 4, Beeks, along with 4 other Rays teammates, opted out of wearing a Rays team logo and cap in support of LGBTQ+ Pride, during the team's annual Pride Night celebration at

Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...

. In 42 appearances for the club in 2022, he registered a 2.80 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 2 saves in 61.0 innings of work. In 2023, Beeks made 30 appearances for the Rays, but struggled to a 5.95 ERA with 47 strikeouts across innings pitched. Following the season on November 4, Beeks was removed from the 40–man roster and placed on outright waivers.

Colorado Rockies

On November 6, 2023, Beeks was claimed off waivers by the

. In 45 appearances for Colorado in 2024, Beeks compiled a 6–4 record and 4.74 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 9 saves.

Pittsburgh Pirates

On July 29, 2024, Beeks was traded to the

in exchange for pitcher Luis Peralta. In 26 relief appearances for the Pirates down the stretch, Beeks recorded a 3.92 ERA with 17 strikeouts and one save innings pitched.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On March 7, 2025, Beeks signed a minor league contract with the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...

. He was released prior to the start of the season on March 22. On March 26, 2025, Beeks signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract with the

Personal

Beeks and his wife, Brie, have a son and two daughters. The family resides in

Northwest Arkansas Northwest Arkansas (NWA) is a metropolitan area and region in Arkansas within the Ozarks. It includes four of the ten largest cities in the state: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Springdale, Arkansas, Springdale, Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers, ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beeks, Jalen Living people 1993 births Sportspeople from Fayetteville, Arkansas Baseball players from Arkansas Major League Baseball pitchers Boston Red Sox players Tampa Bay Rays players Colorado Rockies players Pittsburgh Pirates players Arizona Diamondbacks players Crowder Roughriders baseball players Arkansas Razorbacks baseball players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Greenville Drive players Salem Red Sox players Portland Sea Dogs players Pawtucket Red Sox players Durham Bulls players Surprise Saguaros players Harwich Mariners players