After last night’s game, the Nationals made a big move in the bullpen. They demoted Clayton Beeter, who has spent much of the season as the team’s de facto closer. For a lot of the season, Beeter was one of the better arms of a bad bunch. However, he has really struggled lately and it got him demoted.
From a pure stuff perspective, Beeter has the ability to be a quality reliever. His slider can devastate hitters when it is on point.
Beeter’s fastball also sits in the mid-90’s with a lot of life. However, command has always been the biggest issue for Beeter, and it has cost him this season.
On the year, Beeter has a 14.8% walk rate. That is just not good enough unless you are striking out well over 30% of hitters. Last year, Beeter’s walk rate was even higher, but he struck out 31.7% of hitters. This year, that number is down to 22.5%. Without elite strikeout numbers, Beeter is very vulnerable.
Beeter’s fastball has also been hit hard this season, with a .317 average against. The slider is a quality offering, but it is not enough to make him a viable late inning arm. On the season, Beeter has a 4.50 ERA in 50 outings with 47 strikeouts in 48 innings. His FIP is even higher than that at 5.43.
With a 3.62 ERA in the first half, Beeter was not awful, but the wheels have really come off lately. He has been in the middle of a lot of the Nats infamous late inning meltdowns. His habit of walking guys and then allowing home runs has not been enjoyable.
I actually think Beeter has some talent and could re-establish himself at some point. However, he needs to change things up. Beeter will either need to add a third pitch, regain some of the velocity he lost this year or improve his command. If he can do those things, he can be solid.
Being a closer always felt like a tough ask for Beeter. He is just too hit or miss. You never know if he will be able to throw strikes. With some tweaks, maybe he can emerge as a solid 7th inning guy though.
I am curious to see who replaces Beeter down the stretch and what his future looks like. With this demotion, it is clear that Beeter will need to earn his spot on the 2027 team. There is not much settled in the bullpen though, so he will have his chances.
