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Pirates Prospects » GCL Pirates 2011 Season Recap: Pitchers

The biggest story in the Gulf Coast League this year for the Pirates was Luis Heredia.  The 16 year old Mexican pitching phenom made his pro debut, getting the aggressive push to the United States.  Heredia really stands out because of his high velocity at a young age, but also his potential for up to four plus pitches.

One thing that’s notable with the GCL team this year is that it’s not just Heredia with the potential top of the rotation stuff.  The team also includes guys like Yhonathan Herrand, who can throw in the upper 90s, and several players who consistently work in the low-to-mid 90s.  Even guys like Jimy Hernandez, who aren’t considered top prospects, throw in the 89-92 MPH range at the age of 19.

Here are the pitchers who played for the GCL Pirates this year, broken down by age group.  The first group represents a young age for the level.  This is where you will find most of the prospects.  The second group is around the average age for the league, although this group would need really strong stuff or very good numbers to be considered a top prospect.  The third group makes up the organizational players.

2011 GCL Pirates: Hitters

The obvious standout prospect here is Luis Heredia.  After signing for $2.6 M last year, Heredia made his debut at the GCL level this year.  The most impressive thing was that he was 16 years old through most of the season, which is very young for the level.  His control and his overall numbers were a bit disappointing, although they reflect his lack of experience more than his potential.   I recapped Heredia’s first pro season over the weekend , linking to a few videos we’ve posted from this season, as well as some live reports.

Heredia stands out as the top prospect, but the Pirates have a few other guys who show some promise, especially with their fastball velocity.  Dovydas Neverauskas was a big surprise this year.  The right hander came from Lithuania, a country not known for baseball prospects, but was touching 94 MPH with his fastball, and put up some pretty nice results.  He also struggled with control, like Heredia, but the talent is there, and his frame and young age could allow him to improve on that fastball velocity.  Yhonathan Herrand was signed out of the Dominican Republic last year for $280 K, and made the jump to the US this year.  He touched 97 MPH with his fastball in Spring Training, although obviously his control numbers also suffer.  He’s raw, but a big frame and a 97 MPH fastball will keep him on the radar.

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