Chris Heston

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #25 prospect in 2015
  Heston has gotten every bit out of his fringy stuff, and he earned his first big league callup in 2014 on the heels of an excellent season at Triple-A Fresno. Drafted in-back-to-back seasons out of Seminole State (Fla.) JC, Heston finally signed after a solid junior year at East Carolina in 2009. Since then, he's been a crafty righthander who succeeds without any pitch that grades out as even average. Heston is direct to the plate with an 86-89 mph two-seam fastball with some armside run, a slow low-70s curveball and a fringe-average changeup. It's unlikely Heston can find big league success by letting big league hitters put pitch after pitch into play, but he will serve as a reliable emergency starter option.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #17 prospect in 2013
  Heston improved on a terrific 2011 season in high Class A and established himself as a legitimate prospect with a banner year in which he led the Double-A Eastern League in ERA (2.24) and WHIP (1.10) and finished fourth in strikeouts (135). Heston has been older for his league and his 87-89 mph fastball won't make scouts salivate, but he's a durable performer who just knows how to pitch. Heston has great pace on the mound and shows such a knack for setting up hitters that his teammates call him "Hesto Presto." Pitching coordinator Bert Bradley was so impressed with Heston's presence and smarts that he would screen video of him when he visited other affiliates. Heston's curveball is his best offspeed pitch, and he likes to save it for strikeout situations. He has a solid changeup that ranks as the best in the system and a decent slider but likes to pitch off his two-seam fastball, which he throws down and to both sides of the plate. Heston is a groundball machine, especially with runners on base. The Giants added Heston to the 40-man roster to shield him from the Rule 5 draft and will send him to Triple-A in 2013.