With the switch to second, Beckham's skills first-rate
Two years ago, he was an All-American shortstop at Georgia. Last year, he was the first position player from the 2008 draft to make it to the big leagues, and he arrived as a third baseman.
Gordon Beckham is back for his second season with the White Sox, and he's on the move again.
"I don't think it's going to be too big of a transition for me," said Beckham, who is making a quick adjustment to his latest position - second base.
Here are the questions he faces as he makes the transition:
Can he handle the spot? Beckham has already excelled at short and third, and they are much more difficult to play than second base.
Maybe that's why the 23-year-old infielder said he felt comfortable at his new post after just three days of work with bench coach Joey Cora in Miami this winter.
Why was Beckham moved from third to second? He made 9 errors in 33 games at third base after coming up from Class AAA Charlotte last season.
From there, Beckham settled in at the hot corner and committed just 5 miscues in the final 74 games.
Had he remained at third base, Beckham would have been a solid defender. But once the Sox landed Mark Teahen in a trade from the Royals, Beckham was moved across the infield.
At second base, he'll be able to utilize his range much better, and Beckham also knows how to get to the bag and turn double plays.
Why not play him at shortstop? Without coming out and saying it on the record, Beckham would love to play his natural position and try following in the footsteps of his idol - Yankees star Derek Jeter.
But the Sox' best young player in two decades does what he's told and doesn't complain. Besides, manager Ozzie Guillen still insists Alexei Ramirez is one of the top three defensive shortstops in the American League.
How good is he with the bat? The sky is the limit for Beckham, who added about 10 pounds of needed muscle during the off-season.
Drawing early comparisons to Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, Beckham has some serious gap power, as evidenced by his 28 doubles in just 378 at-bats last season. He also led AL rookies with 63 RBI and ranked second in home runs (14), slugging percentage (.460) and on-base percentage (.347).
Considering he had a grand total of 59 minor-league games under his belt before joining the White Sox, it's easy to see why Beckham is already considered one of the best young players in the game.
What can't Beckham do? Let's see ... well, he's not going to lead the league in stolen bases anytime soon. And Beckham needs to improve his bunting skills if he's going to stay in the No. 2 spot in the White Sox' batting order.
Other than that, Beckham is exactly the type of player you build a team around. Look for the Sox to do just that - unless they trade him to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez.
Did Beckham really once consider dropping baseball and playing football? He thought about it, but realized baseball was far and away his best sport.
His father (James Gordon Beckham Jr.) played quarterback for the University of South Carolina, and Beckham III was an all-state QB and defensive back at The Westminster School in Atlanta.
Beckham was recruited by Air Force as a quarterback and Ohio University as a safety, but he obviously made the right decision to stick with baseball.
When he needs a break, who plays second base? Like Beckham, Omar Vizquel is a natural shortstop. But the 42-year-old Vizquel is spending his 22nd season in the major leagues as a utility infielder, and he played 16 games at second for the Texas Rangers last season.
Jayson Nix can also play second base, assuming he cuts down on his strikeout total and breaks camp with the Sox.
<p class="factboxheadblack">AL's best</p>
<p class="News">Where we rank the top second basemen:</p>
<p class="News">1. Robinson Cano, Yankees</p>
<p class="News">2. Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox</p>
<p class="News">3. Aaron Hill, Blue Jays</p>
<p class="News">6. GORDON BECKHAM, WHITE SOX</p>
<div class="infoBox">
<h1>More season previews</h1>
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<h2>Cubs</h2>
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="/story/?id=365245&src=152">With Baker and Fontenot, Cubs get second guessed<span class="date">[3/11/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364973&src=152">Lee's resurgence has Cubs expecting more of the same<span class="date">[3/9/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364640&src=152">Plenty of worries for Cubs over their bullpen depth<span class="date">[3/9/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364457&src=152">With rotation, Cubs deal with fear of the unknown<span class="date">[3/8/10]</span></a></li>
</ul>
<h2>White Sox</h2>
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="/story/?id=365010&src=162">Captain Konerko knows clock is ticking with Sox<span class="date">[03/10/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364633&src=162">5 spots set, but bullpen remains an issue for Sox <span class="date">[03/09/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=364463&src=162">For starters, Sox expect rotation to be one of baseball's best <span class="date">[03/08/10]</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>