After extended season, Beal looks to continue rise in Royals’ system

December 12 - Evan Beal’s May went something like this.

On May 4, the South County High School graduate pitched two scoreless innings to lower his earned run average to 1.23 in his nine relief appearances with Single-A Wilmington (N.C.).

Three days later, he was promoted to Triple-A Omaha, where the following night he would strike out three and allow one hit over 2.1 scoreless innings against the Iowa Cubs. One of those batters he struck out was Wilson Contreras, who would finish his season as the starting catcher in the Chicago Cubs’ Game 7 win in the World Series. After one more outing with Omaha, Beal was shipped to Double-A Northwest Arkansas on May 20, his third team in 16 days.

Just a typical couple of weeks in baseball’s minor leagues.

Beal, 23, would then finish his third professional season with Northwest Arkansas, going 3-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 54.1 innings over 29 outings. The 6-foot-5 right-hander impressed coaches and scouts in the Kansas City Royals’ system, flashing a mid-90s fastball that he throws with both two and four seams, a short slider that has evolved essentially into a cut fastball, and a 12-6 curveball that he tormented high school hitters with during the Stallions’ run to the Northern Region championship and Group AAA state final in 2011.

Following the season, the Royals sent him to the Arizona Fall League, which annually features many of baseball’s top prospects. Beal, playing with the Surprise Saguaros, compiled a 3.68 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 10 walks in 14.2 innings, working 1.2 scoreless innings in the league’s championship game on Nov. 19. (Earlier in the season, he induced an inning-ending ground out to Tim Tebow, the lone time he faced the former Heisman Trophy winner and much-ballyhooed New York Mets farmhand.)

“Going into the year, you set goals for yourself,” Beal said. “And mine were to make it to Double-A, so I was pleased with that … and to get to the fall league. The reputation of that league speaks for itself, and it was just a really cool experience to see how you match-up with and play against these guys you hear so much about.”

Beal’s success in 2016 coincided with the return of his older brother, Jesse, from Tommy John Surgery. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Jesse Beal, a 14th round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 2008, had the surgery performed in April 2015. After completing his rehab in the spring, he made his return to pro ball this summer with the Sussex County (N.J.) Miners of the independent Canadian-American Association, compiling a 2.59 ERA in 22 appearances.

The two brothers attended baseball’s winter meetings at National Harbor along with their agent last week, and several teams are reportedly interested in signing the elder Beal, who is currently a free agent. Jesse Beal last appeared in affiliated ball with Single-A Frederick in 2014, going 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 23 appearances.

“Seeing [Jesse] every day, I’ve seen how hard he works and what he’s done to get himself ready,” Beal said. “I really enjoyed checking the box scores and seeing him showing so well. He was going two, three days in a row, and I don’t think I could even do that. And he’s doing it coming off the surgery.”

While Beal hopes his brother is signed and in camp come February, he’s assured that he will be in Royals spring training in Surprise, AZ, where he will be joined by Northern Virginia natives Khalil Lee (Flint Hill) and Luke Willis (Oakton/George Mason University) as well as former George Mason standout Jake Kalish.

“I’m going to keep fighting for a spot and a chance to move up, that’s all you can ask for,” he said. “You’ve got to just try and put the pressure on the organization to make a move.”

Photo of Evan Beal courtesy of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals

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