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Could Pirates Prospect Luis Heredia Make U.S. Debut In 2011?

By Charlie Wilmoth

The Post-Gazette writes about the possibility that Pirates pitching prospect Luis Heredia could debut in the U.S. this summer:

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The tentative plan, and one that is out of the ordinary, is for Mexican pitching prospect Luis Heredia to pitch for the Gulf Coast League Pirates this summer. Heredia will not turn 17 until August, but the organization has eyes on making him part of the Gulf Coast League squad, not the Dominican Summer League team, which is the usual routine. There is a feeling that the needed adjustments to professional baseball and his willingness to learn English combine to make him a better fit for a season in Florida.

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I and other bloggers spoke to the Pirates' management this weekend, and they said it would be a stretch for Heredia to make it to the Gulf Coast League team, which is the Pirates' lowest U.S. minor league affiliate, this year, but that nothing would surprise them.

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If Heredia were to play well in the U.S. this season, at any level, he'd set off a serious buzz among Pirates fans. He won't even be 17 until August. Heredia throws his fastball in the low 90s already, and at 6-foot-6 and 16 years old, he has the potential to bring serious heat as he gets older. He also has poise far beyond his years. While much can go wrong on Heredia's path to the majors, his upside really activates the imagination, and it would be nice for Pirates fans to hear a lot from him this summer.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.