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Last year's Marlins list
The Top Ten
- LHP Andrew Heaney
- RHP Tyler Kolek
- C J.T. Realmuto
- RHP Trevor Williams
- RHP Jose Urena
- RHP Anthony DeSclafani
- 2B Avery Romero
- LHP Justin Nicolino
- RHP Nick Wittgren
- LHP Michael Mader
1. Andrew Heaney
Position: LHP
DOB: 06/05/1991
Height/Weight: 6’2” 185 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2012 draft, Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)
Previous Ranking: #1 (Org), #30 (Top 101)
2014 Stats: 5.33 ERA (25.1 IP, 26 H, 17 K, 6 BB) at major-league level, 3.87 ERA (83.2 IP, 75 H, 91 K, 23 BB) at Triple-A New Orleans, 2.35 ERA (53.2 IP, 45 H, 52 K, 13 BB) at Double-A Jacksonville
The Tools: 6+ FB; 6+ potential SL; 5+ potential CH
What Happened in 2014: Heaney pitched 137 1/3 innings across two levels, striking out a batter an inning in the process, but hit some resistance in his first taste of The Show.
Strengths: Repeatable delivery; athletic; easy arm action; fastball jumps on hitters due to deceptive release; comfortably operates in low 90s with arm-side run; will reach for more when needs it; can throw heater to both sides of the plate; snaps slider with a loose wrist; capable of changing shape; buries for chases and shortens for strikes; grades as present plus; flashes feel for change; displays bottom-dropping action.
Weaknesses: Fastball can grab a lot of plate; more of a strike-thrower than spotter with offering; command can get loose; velocity ticks up and down; can stand to add more strength to withstand rigors of position; at times struggles to maintain release of slider; starts too low for consistent chases; change lags behind other offerings; lacks turnover and high-quality action.
Overall Future Potential: High 6; no. 2/3 starter
Realistic Role: 6; no. 3 starter
Risk Factor/Injury History: Low risk; achieved major leagues; command progression.
Bret Sayre’s Fantasy Take: The clear top fantasy prospect in the Marlins’ system, Heaney will get another crack at fantasy viability in 2015. He’s likely to be more of a contributor in the ratios than in strikeouts, but don’t sell him short on the latter—he has the potential to miss more bats with sharpened command. He should be a strong SP3 for a long time.
The Year Ahead: Heaney will likely get his chance to hold down a rotation spot this season as there’s little left for him to prove in the minors. When the left-hander is on, he flashes three major-league caliber offerings and the ability to get hitters out in a variety of ways. The 23-year-old’s easy, balanced delivery allows his overall stuff to play up as the ball seemingly jumps out of his uniform, especially when delivering his heater. While Heaney’s athleticism and fluid actions allow him to repeat his mechanics, he can throw too meaty of strikes and the fastball command does still need some polishing to limit solid contact against elite hitters. The feel here is that the lefty does have some potential command growth in front of him due to the ease in which he delivers the ball. His initial call-up did indicate that the game was moving ahead of him, but that type of experience is valuable for driving home to a player where the total package needs to be. The profile is solid and this season should be the first step in Heaney establishing himself as a strong mid-rotational starter. He’s the clear-cut headliner in this system and one of the better left-handed arms percolating through the ranks across baseball.
Major league ETA: Made debut in 2014