Jairo Heredia
| IP | 465 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.581 |
| WHIP | 1.308 |
| BB/9 | 2.806 |
| SO/9 | 8.361 |
- Full name Jairo Heredia
- Born 10/08/1989 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Signed for $350,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, Heredia seemed on the verge of a breakout last season after a promising 2008 performance in low Class A. But he came to spring training out of shape and pitched just 38 innings in 2009. His lack of conditioning was particularly disappointing because the Yankees have stressed that he needs to get stronger for years. He came down with a sore shoulder and didn't pitch in a game until July. Heredia has the pitches to reach the major leagues if he can stay healthy. His 90-91 mph fastball touches 93 and features sink and armside run. His changeup also has sink, and his curveball can be a plus pitch at times. While Heredia throws strikes, he doesn't always throw quality strikes. With his stuff, he needs to be more precise and improve his pitch sequencing. Heredia is still just 20, so he has plenty of time to get back on track, starting with an assignment to high Class A this year. -
The Yankees considered Heredia the top pitcher in their 2006 international signing class, signing him for $350,000, and he has continued to validate their confidence. He missed a month early in 2008 with biceps tendinitis but he came back to pitch well in low Class A as an 18-year-old. Heredia's future depends on one huge factor--fastball development. While his fastball touches 93 mph, he generally sits at 87-89 mph with his four-seamer and hasn't picked up a two-seamer yet. His fastball has decent sink and armside run, but in terms of velocity and command, it's a below-average pitch. Heredia's secondary stuff and feel for his craft are advanced for his age, including an above-average power breaking ball that reaches 83 mph and is his best pitch. The Yankees call it a curve, while scouts outside the organization call it a slider. He made significant progress with a changeup last season that has splitter action. Heredia has a thin, wiry frame and wide shoulders. He averaged fewer than five innings per start and will need time to develop strength and stamina, not to mention his fastball. If he fills out and develops consistent low-90s heat, he'll be a mid-rotation starter. Otherwise, he'll be another back-of-the-rotation starter who has to pitch backwards to survive. Heredia could return to low Class A to start 2009 but is ready to tackle high Class A as a teenager. -
The Yankees have remained aggressive internationally throughout this decade, even when they were conservative in the draft in the early part. Of the players in New York's 2006 Dominican signing class, Heredia is off to the fastest start. An easy indication of the Yankees' confidence in a young Latin player is whether they hold him back to play in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, and both Heredia and Jesus Montero skipped that level in 2007. So did Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera in past years. Heredia has a quick, live arm that already produces 90-92 mph four-seam fastballs. He has shown some feel for pitching, especially for varying his fastball, that's uncanny for his age. His curveball remains slurvy but has plus potential, and he worked hard in the Dominican instructional league to learn a changeup as well as English. A strong spring will enable Heredia to jump straight to low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Yankees signed Heredia out of the Dominican Republic last year. He didn't pitch in the Dominican Summer League in 2006 and made his pro debut in the States this summer. Not big but wiry strong, Heredia pumps out fastballs from 91-93 mph, touching some 94s along the way. He has a loose, easy delivery and adds and subtracts from his fastball, which he commands to all four quadrants of the strike zone. His slurvy breaking ball needs to get tighter, though it shows flashes of being a plus pitch with solid downward rotation. "He just reminds me of Pedro Martinez when I was with the Dodgers in '93," Reed said. "You see the frame and wonder where it all comes from. This guy is the same way." His changeup is still a work in progress, as he's refining his arm action and grip to command it more consistently. Heredia morphed into a two-pitch pitcher at times, and he'll have to gain more confidence in his changeup if he's going to profile as a starter.
