Jairo Beras

Position: RF
Level: High A
Affiliate: High Desert Mavericks
League:
Age: 21 yrs, 6m
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 195
B/T: Right / Right
Acquired: Signed as non-drafted free agent, Feb. 29, 2012 (TEX)

Prospect Spotlight

Beras has a bit of a rocky start to his pro career where he was suspended for a year over an age discrepancy issue after signing in July of 2012. He is now 21 years old, and looks to be right on track in his development. His skinny, lanky frame boasts some strength projection, but does not seem like it will ever get “thick” and is probably more of an Alex Rios (OF, Royals) body type in the future than that of fellow Ranger, right fielder Nomar Mazara. He has long levers and should continue to get pounded inside as he advances and faces better pitching, but in my short look he showed surprising ability to get the barrel to the ball down and in without having to cheat. He stands fairly upright in the box with good balance and excellent body control for how big he is. He shows above average to plus raw power right now, and will see more as the body matures. He has the ability to drive the ball out to any part of the ballpark, but the approach has a ways to go as he tends to get pull happy.

That said, the Cal League can be a blessing and curse for young power prospects–while it may boost confidence, it can also make it easy for guys to get away from their potential and start trying to jerk everything rather than using the whole field. The 30% K rate that he is sporting currently is a concern, but it’s more related to approach than any mechanical flaw, and as he learns to compete and adjust, the tools are there for him to make significantly more contact. 25 of his 53 hits have gone for extra bases, so the contact-to-damage ratio is solid – once he does the math on that, the athleticism and bat speed are there to support a more concerted effort to be more disciplined and drive the ball the big part of the field.

As far as defense goes, he moves well in right field and is aggressive going into the gaps. He showed a plus arm from the corner with good arm action and minimal tail. He is a bit duck-footed and tends to walk on his heels, but looks much better on the run with an athletic gait down the line and long strides underway. He won’t be a base-stealing threat and will likely check in at below average by the time he gets to the Show. Overall, this is a kid with tremendous upside and a chance to be an impact player at the plate. There are some in the industry that feel Beras is his own worst enemy and that ultimately his casual approach to the game will keep him from reaching his ceiling; and that he wouldn’t be the first immensely-talented prospect to not maximize his potential. But while there is merit to those types of concerns with any player, this is a 21- year-old kid we are talking about who not only grew up in an environment that most of us have no concept of, but also is just now really learning what it means to have structure and focus. The Rangers organization seems to have a tendency to be optimistic with regard to perceived makeup issues and likes to bet on the individual rather than the history. Of course the plus tools and natural ability definitely factor in when the club decides where to invest their confidence, but Texas has a nurturing air about them that pays dividends in the player development process, and that process may allow them to tap into potential that other organizations may miss out on.