Andrew Heaney vs. the World
By joshjacksonmilb
By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com
This offseason, Josh Jackson is looking at some of the top prospects who prepared for professional ball by spending time in a collegiate wood bat league, considering how those summers got them ready for the Draft and future success in the Minor Leagues.
Comparing Andrew Heaney’s numbers for Oklahoma State before he spent the summer of 2011 in the Cape Cod League to after, I intended to put together a little piece exploring why and how that stint between his sophomore and junior years helped catapult him into a first-rounder in the 2012 Draft.
As I dug around, though, I found that somebody’s already put that piece together, and done a bang-up job, too. You can read it here.
Instead, I decided to take a look at how Heaney fared specifically against some of the soon-to-be-pro talent on the Cape, which was considerable. By my count, while pitching for the Falmouth Commodores, Heaney faced 52 current Minor Leaguers. Overall, including the Cape League playoffs, those hitters went 43-for-161 (.267) against him with 38 strikeouts, 18 walks and six extra-base hits (five doubles and a triple). He plunked seven of them.
Before we get into head-to-head breakdowns, it may be interesting to consider the above numbers against guys who are now pros compared to Heaney’s overall regular season: 4–3; 3.37 ERA over 45 1/3 innings across eight games, all starts, with 46 strikeouts and 14 walks.
Andrew Heaney vs. Kris Bryant
Fourth-ranked Cubs prospect Kris Bryant did not exactly tear the cover off the ball during his time with the Chatham Anglers, but he did put on a good show against Heaney.
In Heaney’s first Cape Cod start, on June 13, he pitched a seven-inning complete game, giving up a run on three hits and a walk, striking out 10 along the way, but he lost, 1–0. And he has Bryant to thank for that. Although Bryant whiffed on three pitches in the first inning, he singled in the fourth, then opened the seventh with a walk. He moved to second on a sacrifice, took third on a wild pitch and scored the game’s only run on a single.
Video from that game here:
They met again 16 days later, and this time Heaney came away with a win, although he wasn’t nearly as sharp — he allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over five innings. One of those walks was to Bryant, in the second inning, and Bryant again made him pay by coming around to score. Heaney got Bryant to fly out to center in their only other matchup that day.
Their final showdown of the summer came on July 26, and Bryant clearly emerged on top. In two trips to the dish against Heaney, he had an RBI double and his third walk in seven plate appearances against the lefty.
Advantage: Bryant. .500 average (2-for-4), 2B, 3 BB, RBI, 2 RS
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Alex Yarbrough
Alex Yarbrough, the Angels’ №6 prospect, faced Heaney in just one game, which — based on the results — was a real shame for Heaney. On July 20, Heaney was victorious in Falmouth’s 11–1 thrashing of Cotuit.
Yarbrough grounded out on Heaney’s first pitch of the game, struck out swinging with runners on second and third in the second inning, bounced out again in the fifth and popped out in the seventh.
Advantage: Heaney. .000 average (0-for-4), K
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Victor Roache
The Brewers’ eighth-ranked prospect was Yarbrough’s teammate on the Kettleers, but he fared significantly better against Heaney.
The first time Heaney faced Cotuit — a 5–2 victory for Falmouth and Heaney on June 24 that will be discussed below — Heaney (or his manager) wanted no part of Victor Roache. Roache walked in the first and was intentionally walked in the second and again in the fourth.
In the July 20 game in which Heaney bested Yarbrough in all four at-bats, Roache struck out twice but also smacked a first-inning double and scored the Kettleers’ only run.
Advantage: Roache. .333 average (1-for-3), 2B, BB, 2IBB, RS
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Jake Lamb
Playing for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Jake Lamb saw limited action against Heaney, but the D-backs’ №9 prospect wasted no time before making an impact.
Heaney went without a decision in Falmouth’s 4–3 win over Yarmouth-Dennis on June 18, allowing a run on six hits and a walk while striking out five over five innings. Lamb plated the run with a first-inning single. When they next met in the third, Heaney struck him out to end the frame and strand a runner on second.
Advantage: Lamb. .500 average (1-for-2), RBI, K
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Max Muncy
Max Muncy probably didn’t have much fun against Heaney in their first game on July 5, when the Commodores beat Muncy’s Wareham Gatemen, 15–6, and Heaney held him hitless. The A’s №15 prospect grounded out twice in as many at-bats against Heaney. In the fourth inning, he was hit by a pitch and came around to score.
In a playoff game on Aug. 11, the Commodores beat the Gatemen, 6–0, and Heaney scattered four hits and four walks while whiffing seven over seven innings. One of Wareham’s hits came from Muncy — a leadoff single in the second — but Heaney also struck him out and got him to dribble into a fielder’s choice.
Advantage: Heaney. .200 average (1-for-5), HBP, K, RS
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Deven Marrero
Deven Marrero, another member of that Cotuit team, had a bad time against Heaney in that 11–1 loss on July 20. The Red Sox’s №11 prospect grounded out in the first, then flied out in the second and again in the fifth.
He was replaced on defense before he could bat again and he didn’t play in the Kettleers’ June 24 game against Heaney and the Commodores.
Advantage: Heaney. .000 average (0-for-3)
*
Andrew Heaney vs. Kyle Zimmer
Pitchers don’t hit in the Cape Cod League, but in the June 24 Commodores at Kettleers game, Heaney came out better than top Royals prospect Kyle Zimmer.
It wasn’t a red letter day for either of the young guns, but Zimmer, whose stint on the Cape was discussed here, had a particularly unpleasant outing. He took the loss after allowing four runs — all earned — on six hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings. He did manage three strikeouts.
Advantage: Heaney. W, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K
