August 8th, 2017 at 6:00 am 
by Harold Uhlman A quick question for Dodger minor league enthusiasts. Without peeking at the Texas League statistics, which Texas Driller has the highest batting average in the league?
OK, I didn’t guess it either although I knew he was having a good week. If fact, if play wrapped up today in the Texas League, Drillers third baseman/first baseman Matt Beaty would be the Texas League batting champion.
Beaty is currently hitting .330 and ranks first in the league with a .916 OPS as well as second with a .525 slugging percentage and a .392 OBP. With 181 total bases, he trails league leader Franmil Reyes of the San Antonio Missions by six in 74 fewer at bats. For good measure, he ranks third in the league with 40 extra-base hits and his 26 doubles are only two fewer than league leader Kyle Waldrop of the Arkansas Travelers.
During the week of July 31-August 6 in which he climbed to the top in a quest for a batting title, Beaty was selected as the Texas League Player of the Week and the native of Snellville, Georgia made the selection a no choice situation. For the week, he hit .536 with 18 hits and 10 RBI while striking out just once over the seven games in 32 at bats. He had seven consecutive multi-hit games including two three-hit games and one four-hit game.
With his selection the 6’0”/210-pound left-handed hitter became a charter member of the 2017 Texas Driller Player of the Week club, joining previous winners Erick Mejia, Jose Miguel Fernandez, Edwin Rios, Kyle Farmer, Walker Buehler and Scott Barlow who each previously received the honor.
Beaty becomes the seventh Tulsa Driller to be names as the Texas League’s Player of the Week.
(Photo credit – Rich Crimi)
Matt Beaty is definitely flying high and low. That is, at the top of his league and under the radar as he has been doing for three years. I’m not sure how that happens but I expect he doesn’t mind the anonymity. A quick glance back demonstrates his consistency over his three-year professional career.
He was selected by the Dodgers in the 12th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
In his first professional season in 2015 with the Great Lakes Loons Beaty hit .297 with an OBP of .353. In 124 games with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2016 he hit – believe it or not – .297 with an OBP of .352.
While other hitters moved on to the Tulsa Drillers in 2016, Beaty remained behind and became the Quakes most reliable hitter. On the season, he hit 11 home runs and drove in 88 runs which tied him for the third most in the league.
Beaty started 50 games at third base in 2016 and 65 at first base and was selected as a California League post season All-Star at third base.
In addition to his hot bat, Beaty has proven himself an above average defender as well.
(Photo credit – Rich Crimi
The Drillers had seven members selected to participate in the 2017 All-Star game but Beaty was not one of them. One has to wonder how long he can remain anonymous.
Congratulations to Matt Beaty on not just a good week, but perhaps the best week in the entire 2017 Dodgers minor league season.
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I have to admit that Beaty never wooed me when I saw him at Rancho. Then again, he came in post-Bellinger, so not too many guys did.
Baring a miracle (or a tragedy), I do not see much of a future for Matt with the Dodgers. That said, you can never have too many great trade pieces.
I wish him the very best.
I have followed Matt quite closely and previously labelled him in an article as a guy who comes to play along with Brandon Montgomery, Logan Landon and Kyle Garlick.
He is a player. He is one of those guys who does more with less. Showing some power with 13 home runs and also played some outfield.
Looking at the present situation with the Dodgers, I agree it is indeed a difficult road for Matt and many other young Dodgers. However, the next step will demonstrate any continued progression and with continued success he will make it to MLB, even if not with the Dodgers, and that is his goal.
His minor league stats at age-24 are very comparable to Justin Turner’s and so is his style of play as well as his 6’0″/210-pound frame.
A young man who deserves the recognition. I have been following him since he was drafted and tore up the rookie league pitching. He consistently hits .300 and plays wherever needed in the field. This is the kind of player who works hard with little recognition who surprises when given a chance to play, perhaps in the mold of a Chris Taylor. May be with another organization, but I believe there are teams that would have Beaty on its ML roster right now. Who knows, when Utley decides to retire Beaty could become the backup at 3b, 2b, 1b, and corner OF positions.
He is my kind of player. Not flashy but leaves it all on the field every time. You just never know how much he is valued in the Dodgers system but I do think he will play in MLB, most likely with another organization. Has played one game at 2B with the Drillers.