Today’s 10 Prospects in 10 Days features Luis Heredia.

Quick Profile
Position: Pitcher
Throws: Right
Age: 18
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 205 lbs.

The Bucs signed Heredia to a $2.6 million signing bonus in 2010. Just 16 years old at the time, the Mexico native set a franchise record for the largest international signing.

Here’s a promising scouting report from MLB:

“Since signing out of Mexico, Heredia has been challenged with assignments that put him way ahead of the curve. In 2012, he was the youngest pitcher in the New York-Penn League and more than held his own. Pitching downhill from his 6-foot-6 frame, Heredia’s fastball touches 95 mph and should be a consistently plus pitch. His secondary stuff has the chance to be plus as well, from his hard curve to his changeup. Heredia has a better feel for pitching than most teenagers and he gets high marks for his makekup and mound presence. The combination of size, stuff, pitchability and work ethic all point to the potential as a front-line starter.”

Here are some stats from his first two professional seasons:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev W L ERA G GS IP H R ER HR BB SO WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9
2011 16 Pirates GULF Rk 1 2 4.75 12 11 30.1 28 16 16 3 19 23 1.549 8.3 0.9 5.6 6.8
2012 17 State College NYPL A- 4 2 2.71 14 14 66.1 53 22 20 2 20 40 1.101 7.2 0.3 2.7 5.4
2 Seasons 5 4 3.35 26 25 96.2 81 38 36 5 39 63 1.241 7.5 0.5 3.6 5.9
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Heredia is a beast on the mound at 6’6″, and has loads of potential at age 18. He still has a long journey in the minors ahead of him, but seems poised for the challenge; he appears very mature for a teenager from out of the country:

MLB lists 2015 as an estimated time of arrival for him; if he pans out, the Bucs could have three strong right-handed arms with Heredia, Gerrit Cole, and Jameson Taillon.

Previous Editions:
Wyatt Mathisen
Victor Black
Alex Dickerson
Barrett Barnes
Josh Bell

  • ajleight

    This kid is King Felix Jr. in the making. Of the buccos 3 big guns, I honestly think he has the most potential, but he’s also got the most to prove. I just can’t see him not being in the majors before he can legally drink. He has the potential for 3 plus offerings and he had 6 different pitches in his arsenal in Mexico. If even another one becomes major league average, we’re looking at a kid who has the stuff to make opposing hitters look foolish.

    • http://fromforbestofederal.com/ From Forbes to Federal

      Yep, he has some ridiculous stuff – good video here: http://youtu.be/JvHXIXK6EVI