Who is Brandon Beachy?
On Thursday, 25-year-old Brandon Beachy threw a complete-game shutout for the Braves against the hot-hitting Miami Marlins. He allowed only five hits, struck out six, and walked none while throwing 80 of his 122 pitches for strikes. The performance lowered his ERA to 1.33 in eight starts, best in baseball, to accompany his 0.89 WHIP, third-best in baseball.
Four years ago, Beachy was primarily an infielder for Indiana Wesleyan University. He wasn't drafted. The Braves signed him as a non-drafted free agent, and he was used as a reliever in the low levels of their farm system. Then, in 2010, something clicked. Beachy suddenly became one of the best pitchers in minor league baseball. Across 119.1 innings in Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 1.73 ERA, 148 strikeouts, and just 28 walks. He made his big league debut in September, two years after more than 1,500 players were drafted instead of him.
In 2011, he made 25 starts for the Braves. He struck out 169 in 141.2 innings, the best strikeout rate for any starter with at least 100 innings. Now, in 2012, he's become one of the best pitchers in baseball, relying on deception, command, and underrated stuff to lead a strong Braves rotation.
Brandon Beachy, college infielder turned minor league reliever turned major league ace, is a rather unbelievable story. And he serves as yet another reminder that the Braves are pretty good at what they do.
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