Beaty’s rookie season saw him set career highs in several categories, including plate appearances (268), home runs (nine), RBIs (46), doubles (19), slugging percentage (.458), and OPS (.775). In 2020, after a pandemic-induced break, he contributed to the Dodgers’ push to end a 32-year World Series drought, appearing in the National League Championship Series where he had three plate appearances, drawing two walks and getting hit by a pitch to reach base twice.
In 2021, Beaty reached new personal bests in games played (120), on-base percentage (.363), and OPS+ (104). He would later be traded to the San Diego Padres in March 2022, with pitcher River Ryan going to the Dodgers as part of the deal. The trade came amid a flurry of moves that included the Dodgers trading Ryan to the Detroit Tigers in a separate blockbuster deal that also involved Tarik Skubal.
Beaty’s career trajectory slowed after a shoulder injury in May 2022 sidelined him for an extended period, landing him on the Padres’ 60-day injured list. He later spent time with the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals organizations during 2022 and 2023. Over 290 regular-season games, Beaty posted a .247 batting average, 18 home runs, and 96 RBIs.
His last professional playing time came in 2024, when he appeared in 53 games within the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league system before being released in September of that year.
“The time since then has been filled with questions and back-and-forth,” Beaty wrote on social media. “Should I keep playing? Is there another opportunity out there? Or is it finally time to close this chapter? In my experience, a decision like this isn’t easy. You spend your entire life devoting time, effort and sacrifice to a game. You make choices and give up opportunities because baseball doesn’t always allow you to experience life the way everyone else does. When something has been such a huge part of your life for so long, walking away is hard. Deep down, I think I knew my last game was my last game. I just held onto the hope that it wouldn’t be.”
