Position: OF
Born: 9/24/2000
Ht: 5’10” Wt: 170 lb B-T: R-R
Acquired: Drafted 4th round in the 2019 draft out of Loyd Star HS (Miss.)
Career Stats
FutureSox Prospect Rankings
- #22 – 2019 Midseason
- #25 – 2020 Preseason
- #24 – 2020 Midseason
- #22 – 2021 Preseason
FutureSox Media
- White Sox draft high school speedster James Beard in fourth round, June 2019
- Don’t sweat the stats, James Beard flashes a variety of positive aspects to his game, July 2019
- All FutureSox articles tagged James Beard
Accolades
Scouting Report
In some ways, Beard was a bit of a throwback in terms of White Sox draft picks. His athletic profile is reminiscent of draft picks like Jared Mitchell and Keenyn Walker. In other ways, he is a rare pick for the White Sox. For starters, high school picks have been few and far between for the organization. Beard was picked in the fourth round out of a small Mississippi high school, and he signed for $350,000. He was the third high schooler the Sox drafted in 2019. His elite speed was regarded as the best in the draft and ranks a solid 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale.
He struggled with the bat in 2019, and struck out in 42.5% of his plate appearances in the Arizona League. He hit .192/.257/.269. Beard will require patience. His speed will keep him on the prospect radar. Beard was likely to repeat rookie ball in some capacity in 2020, but it’s not clear if that will still be the plan in 2021.
Photo credit: Sean Williams/FutureSox