Who is Clayton Beeter? Everything you need to know about Yankees pitcher reportedly included in Opening Day roster

Despite never having logged an inning on an MLB mound, Clayton Beeter appears to be set to start the season wearing the pinstripes in the Yankees bullpen. A result of some of the injuries that his team is facing, the young right-hander is intent on making his opportunity count.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the 25-year old Beeter is marked down among the opening day relievers. The move comes after Luis Gil was slotted in as the team's fifth starter, opening a spot in the bullpen that Beeter will ostensibly be filling.

"Clayton Beeter made the Yankees Opening Day roster, per "JoelSherman1" - Talkin' Yanks

Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the 2020 draft, Beeter arrived in the Bronx by virtue of a 2022 trade that sent Joey Gallo the other way. A native of Fort Worth, Beeter graduated from Texas Tech in 2020 before heading into Double-A the following season.

At 6-foot-2, Clayton Beeter has impressed with his breaking ball abilities, including his slider and curveball. In his 2023 campaign that was split between Double and Triple-A, Beeter went 9-7, pitching to a 3.62 ERA across 131 innings of work.

"Some Clayton Beeter (@cbeet15) opening day filth. To answer your question -- lefties in the Big XII -- yes, you'll have to deal with some change-ups this year" - Tech Hoops Guy

Although their 2023 season was not a good showing, starter Gerrit Cole put on a clinic. After going 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA to win the AL Cy Young last season, Cole is set to be sidelined for one to two months with elbow issues. Nestor Cortes is expected to get the ball when the Yankees square off against the Houston Astros on March 28 for their opening day of the season.

Clayton Beeter enters the 2024 season with full support of manager

Having undergone Tommy John surgery in high school, and putting up a 3.18 ERA this spring, Beeter has a long record of being a competitor. Luckily for the rookie, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone realizes this. After a four-strikeout appearance earlier in the preseason, Boone said of the young pitcher:

“He navigated everything well. His stuff was really good. He had life on his heater"

Like every pitcher before him, a long road to glory lies ahead of Beeter. However, with a stroke of luck to get his foot in the door, the young hurler's years of hard work is finally paying off.