Andrew Heaney

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #1 prospect in 2015
  Marlins scouting director Stan Meek, a former player and assistant coach at Oklahoma, has strong ties to the Sooner State and has tapped into those ties in the draft. He hit early with 2002 fourthrounder Josh Johnson and has gone to the well more frequently of late, missing with 2009 first-rounder Chad James but hitting on catcher J.T. Realmuto (third round, 2010) and Heaney, the ninth overall pick in 2012. Ranked among the best lefthanded college starters entering the 2012 draft, Heaney earned the same distinction in the minors heading into the 2014 season. A last-hour sign for $2.6 million, Heaney opened his third pro season in 2014 at Double-A Jacksonville. He made an 83-inning layover at Triple-A New Orleans, where he continued performing well, before the Marlins summoned him. He made his major league debut on June 19 with enormous expectations, but Marlins fans looking for a lefthanded complement to ace Jose Fernandez didn't get him in Heaney, who lost each of his first three big league starts. Miami optioned him back to Triple-A, and he didn't start again in the big leagues until Miami's 160th game. Traded twice during the Winter Meetings, Heaney first went from the Marlins to Dodgers as part of the package for Dan Haren and Dee Gordon, then moved from the Dodgers to Angels in a straight-up swap for Howie Kendrick. At his best, Heaney's fastball sits in the low 90s and he complements it with a plus slider in the low 80s and a plus changeup with armside sink. He tired in the second half of what was actually his first full season, as a lat strain in 2013 limited him to 95 innings that season. When he tired, he lost some arm speed and didn't maintain his release point, causing his stuff to flatten out, so strength gains are an obvious area for improvement. Heaney's fastball generally misses down when it misses, and while he was homer-prone in the majors, he hasn't been in the minors, allowing just 0.5 per nine innings. He's still developing a feel for his changeup, which he throws too hard at times. Heaney has a clean delivery and easy arm action, but he can be susceptible to the running game, often timed at 1.3 seconds or more to the plate, when 1.2 is considered average. He needs to focus on maintaining a quicker delivery and shortened stride length. When he's going well, Heaney also pitches with an excellent, aggressive tempo. He has above-average control and threw nearly two-thirds of his pitches in the minors for strikes. That figure dipped slightly to 63.7 percent while in the majors, but he threw first-pitch strikes at a better than 60 percent rate. About the only thing Heaney lacks right now is experience. He benefitted from working with Marlins big league coaches Reid Cornelius and Chuck Hernandez in September, getting his feet wet in preparation for an expanded role. An offseason spent getting stronger would position him well to compete for a rotation spot.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #1 prospect in 2014
  Heaney was regarded as the top college lefthander available in the 2012 draft after he led NCAA Division I hurlers with 140 strikeouts in 118 innings as a junior. He nearly didn't come to terms with the Marlins after sometimes testy negotiations, agreeing to a $2.6 million deal just before the deadline. His first full season got off to a delayed start when he was sidelined by a strained lat muscle in a simulated game early in spring training. It took him several games to shake off the rust once he took the hill at high Class A Jupiter in May, but he soon looked dominant, going unscored upon for the entire month of July to earn a promotion to Double-A Jacksonville. He tossed six scoreless frames in his first start for the Suns, then gave up five runs his second time out--nearly a quarter of the runs he yielded all year. Heaney makes it look simple, with easy arm action and a smooth delivery he repeats well. He gets easy velocity on his fastball, touching 95 mph regularly, particularly in two-strike counts. When he needs a little more he can push it up to 97. He has learned, however, that his command is a little crisper when he sits in the 91-93 range. There's a little deception to it and natural giddy-up at the end that gives hitters fits, even at the lower velocity. Heaney locates his fastball well down in the zone. His plus slider can be a wipeout pitch, with late, hard, sharp break that finishes outside of the hitting zone. He keeps hitters off-balance with his changeup, a valuable weapon against righthanded hitters. It's solid-average now, though there were times last year, particularly early in the season, when he telegraphed the pitch--or it came in a bit too firm without the fade it has when he turns it over right. The changeup projects as a third above-average offering. He commands all his pitches consistently and mixes them together well, though he needs to get better at reading swings and picking up on hitters' tendencies to improve his pitch selection. From early in the season to the end, his pitch management took a major step forward as he became more efficient. Heaney needs to learn to improve his tempo and control the running game after allowing 19 of 20 runners to steal against him in 2013, and it's been a notable weakness since college. He has added nearly 20 pounds to his frame since signing but could benefit from additional strength. He carries himself well on the mound and competes hard every time out. Heaney's not far away, though with just 122 pro innings he could stand more minor league time. He'll have to prove he can hold up to a full workload to fulfill his potential as a No. 2 starter, but he should join Miami's young rotation by the end of 2014.
• 
  Ranked Miami Marlins #3 prospect in 2013
  The top college lefthander in the 2012 draft, Heaney led NCAA Division I with 140 strikeouts in 118 innings last spring. Negotiations turned acrimonious after the Marlins selected him ninth overall, though they signed him near the deadline for $2.6 million. Heaney got better with each start, with his fastball climbing from 88-90 mph after the layoff to touching 97 in his final pro outing. It should settle at 90-94, and he commands it easily to both sides of the plate. His 83-85 mph slider is already at least a plus pitch, though he's working to give it more deception with late, hard break that will finish out of the hitting zone. His changeup improved in league after Miami got him to finish with his upper half coming more toward the plate. Heaney has a loose arm, effortless delivery and excellent control. While he worked to gain strength coming into his junior season at Oklahoma State, he could stand to add more muscle to his lean frame. Heaney will open his first full pro season at high Class A Jupiter and may not stay there long. He projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter who could join the Marlins at some point in 2014.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #17 prospect in 2012 draft
  Scouts have raved about Heaney's quick arm and clean, effortless delivery since he was at Putnam City (Okla.) High. He beat Marlins first-rounder Chad James in a head-to-head matchup as a senior in 2009 and would have gone higher than the 24th round to the Rays had he not been intent on attending Oklahoma State. Heaney has led the Cowboys in wins in each of his three college seasons and has seen his stuff improve as a junior this spring. The 6-foot-2, 174-pounder has added 2-3 mph to his fastball, which now sits at 90-92 mph and touches 95 mph. He's not afraid to pitch inside with his heater and can spot it to both sides of the plate. Heaney's three-quarters breaking ball and his changeup are both solid pitches that play up because of his plus command. He not only throws strikes but also generates swings and misses, and in mid-May he trailed only projected Duke first-rounder Marcus Stroman in the NCAA Division I strikeout race. In a down year for lefthanded pitching, Heaney is clearly the best college southpaw available and should go off the board in the middle of the first round.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #6 prospect in 2015
  The Marlins made Heaney the ninth overall pick in 2012, and he made his major league debut for Miami almost exactly two years after he signed. But six months after reaching the big leagues, he was traded twice in one frenetic day at the Winter Meetings, first to the Dodgers and then to the Angels. Heaney returned to the PCL to start the season and made 14 starts for Salt Lake before graduating to a regular spot in the Angels rotation. He stands out for his pitchability and advanced three-pitch arsenal. His sinker sits in the low 90s, peaking at 95 mph, and he mixes in a changeup and curveball. Heaney repeats his easy delivery well, and he fills up the strike zone. His plus control helps his stuff play up, giving him the look of a mid-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked Southern League #13 prospect in 2014
  Despite entering the season ranked as the top lefthander in the minors, and despite logging a 2.35 ERA with strong peripherals in his month and a half in the SL, Heaney did not receive the volume of positive reviews his prospect pedigree would suggest. He got hammered in the big leagues during two different stints in 2014 because he wore down physically, his arm slot dropped and his pitches lost velocity and life. At his best, Heaney pitches at 88-92 mph with plus arm-side run and good sink. He backs it up with a solid-average to plus slider in the low 80s and a changeup that grades more consistently as average than it did when he turned pro two years ago. Not only has stamina been a problem for Heaney, but so too have slow times to the plate and pitching with runners on base. He has the raw ingredients to become a No. 3 or 4 starter if he can resolve his problems.
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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #6 prospect in 2014
  Heaney surged to the majors in 2014 after just 34 minor league appearances thanks to excellent control of his polished repertoire. Heaney found himself back at New Orleans in mid-July, however, following a less-than-successful stint with the Marlins that included a 6.34 ERA in four starts. Miami remains impressed with Heaney's demeanor, chalking up his struggles to the grind of a long pro season. "When you go through a full spring training, six months of a season, nothing can prepare you for that," New Orleans manager Andy Haines said. "Next year will be much different. He'll be right in the middle of the battle for the major league rotation." Heaney uses a smooth delivery to sit consistently at 90-92 mph, with the ability to touch 94 when he needs it. His above-average to plus slider remains his go-to secondary weapon, while his changeup continues to improve with more frequent usage.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #9 prospect in 2013
  Heaney began the season on the disabled list with a lat muscle injury on his left side, finally getting into game action in May. He was thriving heading into July, when he didn?t give up a run in 27 innings to earn a promotion to Double-A. (His streak ended at 34 innings with Jacksonville.) Success for Heaney starts with an easy delivery and an 89-93 mph fastball that touches 95, complemented by a hard 78-82 mph slider that features good depth. His changeup tends to be too firm, but he can turn it over at times and show an average third pitch. His biggest obstacle to a big league promotion is durability, as he?s thrown a tick more than 120 innings as a pro.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #42 prospect in 2015
• Ranked Baseball America's #30 prospect in 2014
• Ranked Baseball America's #43 prospect in 2013

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The top college lefthander available in the 2012 draft, Heaney led NCAA Division I with 140 strikeouts in 118 innings last spring. Negotiations turned acrimonious after the Marlins selected him nine overall, and they announced three days before the July 13 deadline that they wouldn't sign him. They did, however, at slightly below pick value for $2.6 million. Scouting Report: Heaney got better with each start, with his fastball climbing from 88-90 mph after the layoff to touching 97 in his final pro outing. It should settle at 90-94, and he commands it easily to both sides of the plate. His 83-85 mph slider is already at least a plus pitch, though he's working to give it more deception with late, hard break that will finish out of the hitting zone. His changeup improved in league after Miami got him to finish with his upper half coming more toward the plate. Heaney has a loose arm, effortless delivery and excellent control. While he worked to gain strength coming into his junior season at Oklahoma State, he could stand to add more muscle to his lean frame. The Future: Heaney will open his first full pro season at high Class A Jupiter and may not stay there long. He projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter who could join the Marlins at some point in 2014.