Heras is a small centerfielder that has shown good contact skills coupled with improving power. He debuted in the Mexican League at 17 for Potros de Tijuana. In his first full season the next year for Tijuana, he hit 271/.322/.414 while primarily playing second base. He moved to Reynosa in 2009 and broke out, hitting 330/376/430. He's played centerfield for Mexico City for the last three years, showing the ability to hit for a high average and moderate power.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | PA | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 17 | Tijuana | MEX | 11 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .190 | .227 | .190 | .418 |
| 2008 | 18 | Tijuana | MEX | 78 | 317 | 50 | 76 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 27 | 9 | 21 | 51 | .271 | .322 | .414 | .737 |
| 2009 | 19 | Reynosa | MEX | 105 | 486 | 89 | 146 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 13 | 30 | 57 | .330 | .376 | .430 | .806 |
| 2010 | 20 | Reynosa | MEX | 96 | 462 | 58 | 126 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 55 | 11 | 42 | 45 | .316 | .379 | .424 | .803 |
| 2011 | 21 | Mexico | MEX | 102 | 497 | 100 | 152 | 16 | 8 | 18 | 60 | 25 | 38 | 48 | .342 | .399 | .536 | .935 |
| 2012 | 22 | Mexico | MEX | 112 | 521 | 111 | 147 | 18 | 8 | 24 | 64 | 17 | 53 | 83 | .323 | .398 | .556 | .954 |
| 2013 | 23 | Mexico | MEX | 91 | 392 | 81 | 104 | 19 | 9 | 11 | 42 | 14 | 48 | 73 | .310 | .398 | .519 | .917 |
| 7 Seasons | 595 | 2697 | 496 | 755 | 109 | 50 | 60 | 294 | 89 | 233 | 363 | .318 | .381 | .481 | .862 | |||
Ortiz reported that the Astros expect to assign Heras to AA Corpus Christi once the signing is official. That should be a good challenge for him. He's had some experience against older players in the Mexican League, and he's not super young for a prospect. Might as well challenge him and see what you've got. If nothing else, Heras adds to the impressive depth of the Astros farm system. He probably won't show big power in the majors, but if he can handle CF and continue to put his bat on the ball, he could get a chance in the barren Astros' outfield.
SCOUTING REPORTS
Despite today's news not getting a ton of buzz in with the national media, Heras has been on the major league radar for a few years. Back in 2010, the Hardball Times ranked him as having the fourth best center field arm in minor league baseball. They also noted that the Oakland A's were scouting the then-eighteen year old:
4. Leonardo Heras (10, -25, .330/.376/.430)
He obtained the numbers above in the Mexican League at 18. He debuted in 2007 at 16. After a pinch runner appearance, he was inserted as a pinch hitter and delivered a base hit; the following day he was in the lineup and went two for five. Walks rarely, but also doesn't strike out a lot. In 2008 he played mostly at second base. He's a right-handed thrower, left-handed batter. The Oakland A's have been following him
Fangraphs profiled Heras in a post about overlooked AAA players (the Mexican League is organized as a AAA league, but unlike the PCL and the International League its teams are not affiliated with major league teams):
Leonardo Heras (.398 OBP, .557 SLG, .413 wOBA, 140 wRC+)
The blog, I R Fast, looked at Heras last fall:He has speed, power, and age on his side. Only 22 and ranking among the best hitters in the league, Heras is looking elite in a league that is 6 years older than him on average. If this is not the kind of player the ML exists to find, then who is?
His swing probably won't lend him a lot of power, especially the other way. Most of it will most likely be pull on pitches on the inside part of the plate. He is not a big stolen base threat but his speed scores have been good. According to other videos on YouTube, it looks like he has plenty of athleticism and takes good routes to the ball defensively. I am not the first to say this, but I do find him interesting and wonder how much money it would take to pry him away from his Mexican League team
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