Luis Heredia

Luis Eduardo Heredia Orozco

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 6", Weight 205 lb.

• Born August 16, 1994

BR Minors page

Luis Heredia was a top international signee in 2010.

Heredia is the son of Hector Heredia, a longtime AAA pitcher, but was born out of wedlock and had no contact with his father until December 2009, when Luis's earning potential was evident. He later said he considered his mother Maria de Jesus Orosco as his "mother and father." In August 2009, Luis faced the Mazatlan Deer, a top team from the Mexican Pacific League comprised of veteran Mexican players and shut them out for two innings, allowing one hit and two walks.

Heredia had been timed at 93 mph on his fastball and also had a slider, curveball and changeup when he was 15 years old. Teams were not permitted to sign Luis until he turned 16 in August 2010 and negotiations had to go through his Mexican League team, the Veracruz Eagle. By that time, Rene Gayo and Jesus Valdez, the Pittsburgh Pirates' international scouting chief and Mexican scout respectively, had long ties with Heredia and Veracruz. The Pirates signed Heredia for $2.6 million, the most expensive signing of a Mexican amateur to that point in baseball history; Veracruz kept 75 percent as they had owned his rights. Among other teams to scout Heredia were the Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees (the latter club made the mistake of working with Hector Heredia, not realizing he had no contact with his son).

Luis also shattered the Pirates record for an international signing, held by Exicardo Cayones at $400,000 two years prior. Heredia marked the third teenaged right-hander the Pirates had spent over two million dollars on that month, following Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie from the 2010 amateur draft. Pittsburgh projected that Heredia might open the 2011 season with the GCL Pirates.

Heredia did start 2011 with the GCL Pirates as anticipated; he was the second man in their rotation after Allie. Luis made his pro debut on June 21 against the GCL Blue Jays, pitching 2 2/3 innings. He allowed three walks, one hit and two runs while fanning none.

did not have the greatest of starts, allowing two runs on one hit while walking three Jays batters without a strikeout.

Sources

• "Who is Luis Heredia?" by Dejan Kovacevic in the August 22, 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Baseball Mexico blog