Kyle Heckathorn Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Kyle David Heckathorn
Born 06/17/1988 in Fort Oglethorpe, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Kennesaw State
Drafted in the C-A round (47th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009 (signed for $776,000).

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Heckathorn has been on scouts' radars since he started growing into his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame. As a prep junior, he had an ankle injury that prompted many of the larger schools recruiting him to hesitate, while Kennesaw State kept after him. He reciprocated their loyalty and finally was having a breakout season as a junior, after several fits and starts. Heckathorn has raw stuff on par with anyone in the draft class, even Stephen Strasburg. He runs his fastball up to 99 mph as a starter, sitting in the 94-97 range into the eighth inning against Jacksonville in a May start. His slider can be similarly lethal, sometimes turning into a true cutter at 91-93 mph, other times getting decent depth in the 85-88 mph range. He doesn't throw much that's soft and actually throws too many strikes; he hasn't yet learned how to set up hitters to chase his slider or heater out of the zone when ahead in the count. Heckathorn's quick (two outing) departure from the Cape Cod League last summer raised some red flags for teams, as has his lack of consistent dominance in the Atlantic Sun. His command also is not what it should be. Most clubs consider Heckathorn, who has a short, quick arm action, a likely reliever as a pro, as a better (they hope) version of Kyle Farnsworth.

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When Heckathorn was drafted 47th overall and signed for $776,000 in 2009, many scouts considered him a better fit as a late-inning power reliever than a starter. The Brewers wanted to give him a chance to start, however, and he continued to do so until midway through 2012, when Milwaukee finally shifted him to the bullpen. He couldn't maintain consistency through the course of a game as a starter, and the move gave him the chance to go all-out in brief stints. He posted a 3.68 ERA in 18 bullpen appearances for Huntsville, compared to his 5.10 ERA in 17 starts, though he had just 17 strikeouts in his 29 relief innings. Heckathorn's fastball improved from 88-91 mph to 91-94 with his new job description, and he continued to rely on movement and sink to get groundouts rather than whiffs. His slider got a similar boost into the mid-80s. Heckathorn's changeup can be effective when hitters sit on his hard stuff. He has a bulldog approach, which plays better in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. He does a good job of filling the strike zone, but it remains to be seen if he's more of a middle reliever than a set-up man. Milwaukee left him off its 40-man roster but will promote him to Triple-A in 2013.
With 2009 first-round pick Eric Arnett looking like a bust, the Brewers would like to get something out of Heckathorn, who signed for $776,000 as the 47th overall pick in the same draft. But he got hit hard in Double-A last year and hasn't shown the same stuff he featured at Kennesaw State, where his fastball sat at 91-94 mph and topped out at 98. Heckathorn mostly pitches at 88-93 mph, relying on sinking and tailing action to get groundouts rather than blowing his fastball by hitters. He throws both his slider and changeup in the mid-80s. His changeup is more effective and moves like his fastball, but he doesn't throw it enough. With a big frame, Heckathorn sometimes struggles with his mechanics, losing his release point and his command. He does a good job of throwing strikes but doesn't always locate his pitches as well as he needs to. He has a bulldog approach to pitching, sometimes to his own detriment. At some point soon, the Brewers might have to move Heckathorn to the bullpen. He'll likely remain in the rotation this year in Double-A to see if he can get over the hump.
Scouts sometimes consider Heckathorn more of a thrower who just rears back and fires fastballs in the 90-94 mph range. In shorter stints at Kennesaw State, he threw harder, into the upper 90s. His first full season was a strong success, as he led the organization with a 2.98 ERA and got 2.02 groundouts for every airout. He is a fulleffort, big-bodied, non-athletic pitcher who sometimes struggles with arm action and release points. Heckathorn uses his tall frame to throw downhill and does a good job of keeping the ball in the park (three homers in 124 innings in 2010) with his best pitch a sinker. Throwing from a three-quarter delivery, he was not as consistent with a slider in the mid-to-high 80s. His changeup is effective at times, and he commands it better than his fastball, but Heckathorn doesn't repeat his delivery as much as needed. The Brewers had him work on smoothing out his lower half as the season progressed and he became more efficient with his pitches. He competes on the mound and is a real bulldog in his approach to pitching, but Heckathorn projects as a reliever because his fastball command is below-average. Milwaukee moved him up to Brevard County last summer and he held his own over eight starts. He'll probably return to high Class A in 2011, and the Brewers plan to keep him in a starting role for now.
After selecting Eric Arnett in the first round of the 2009 draft, the Brewers tabbed another big-bodied power pitcher in Heckathorn with the 47th overall choice. He would have been the highest pick in Kennesaw State history if the Blue Jays hadn't taken teammate Chad Jenkins 27 selections earlier. After signing for $776,000, Heckathorn worked on tight pitch counts in his pro debut. His raw stuff is outstanding and rivaled anyone's in the 2009 draft. His fastball sits at 91-94 mph and peaks at 98. His slider also can be devastating, registering in the high 80s. Even with his live arm and big frame, Heckathorn doesn't have any problems throwing strikes. Heckathorn is learning how to use his stuff. He doesn't know how to set up batters and actually throws too many hittable strikes at times. He must come up with a reliable changeup so hitters can't sit on his hard stuff, and he'll have to locate his pitches better in the strike zone. He won just 12 games in three college seasons, when he had limited exposure to top-level competition, and got hit hard in his brief introduction to pro ball. The Brewers will keep Heckathorn in a starting role for now, though some scouts project him as an overpowering closer. He'll likely begin his first full season in low Class A.