2012 MLB Draft Preview: Kurt Heyer
With Whitney graduating from U of A a couple of weeks ago, I thought I should write up the ace of that staff, sophomore Kurt Heyer. Heyer had a truly remarkable season as the Friday-nighter for Arizona posting a 2.41 ERA in 130.2 IP with 128 K’s and only 25 BB. His numbers were stellar, and Heyer will be one of the top arms in the PAC-10 in 2012 as well. Heyer has terrific sink on his fastball, which allowed him to keep the ball in the yard quite well despite the thin Tucson air. He only allowed 5 homers and 25 XBH’s in his 19 2011 starts.
Heyer’s fastball works in the low to mid-90’s with good arm-side run and sink. His slider has decent tilt and projects as a 60 pitch in the pro’s. His changeup is behind, but it still has a chance at a solid-average grading come next June. Heyer’s command and ability to keep the ball on the ground are terrific. His body projects well at 6’2” and 198 lbs. With an arm slot in the low to mid-3/4 range and a strong lower half, there are no obvious red flags in his delivery.
Heyer should land in the first half of the 2012 draft, and a top-10 pick is certainly within reach. I am tremendously impressed with what he has accomplished in his two seasons at U of A as their clear #1 starter. Despite the fact that Mark Appel of Stanford will be returning to his role as the ace at Stanford in 2012, Kurt Heyer could very well finish his career as the best arm in the PAC-10.
I encouraged Whitney and all of her friends to check this guy out before they graduated, but it is looking more and more likely that their first glimpse of him will perhaps have to be on a television screen shot either from Omaha or the Bigs.
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