Development of breaking ball key for Bucs’ Heredia
By Mark Emery
By Mark Emery / MiLB.com
Luis Heredia’s second tour of the South Atlantic League is ending markedly better than how it began.
Regarded as Pittsburgh’s №14 prospect, the 20-year-old Mexican turned in one of the finest sta
rts of his career on Monday, when he shut out Augusta over a career-high seven innings in Class A West Virginia’s 2–1 loss at home.
Afterwards, Power pitching coach Jeff Johnson talked about how Heredia used his fastball and changeup to stymie the GreenJackets. As the season reaches its conclusion, Johnson is interested to see how the right-hander’s breaking ball develops.
“We’re trying to figure out what kind of breaking ball he’s going to have long term,” the pitching coach said. “[It’s] still a work in progress. He’s able to throw it over the plate. Sometimes it’s a big one, sometimes it’s smaller. So we’re just trying to get that more consistent, the break on his breaking pitch.”
Though the offering apparently needs some refining, Johnson did note that Heredia used it effectively in his latest performance.
“He was throwing it over, [and] is able to get some swing-and-misses on it, at least at this level, with his breaking ball. But that’s the one thing that we’re trying to tighten up to try to get a little better, is the breaking pitch,” the coach said.
With 50 being average and 60 being above average, MLB.com gave his fastball and changeup 55 grades while rating his curveball at 50.
In his opening start, Heredia took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits against Lexington, then left his second outing (also vs. the Legends) following just one pitch because of right shoulder discomfort. The injury turned out to be severe enough to keep him off the hill until June 5.
In 15 games this season, he is 2–4 with a 3.96 ERA, but he has gone at least six innings in each of his previous five outings, four of which were quality starts. Last season, he made 14 appearances — 13 starts — at Class A, ending with a 7–3 record and 3.05 ERA. The Pirates signed him to a $2.6 million deal in 2010.
