Taylor Hearn

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2015
R:  0-0-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 12.6 K/9
A-:  1-5-0, 3.98 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 43.0 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 8.0 K.9

After a brief stint in rookie ball, Hearn pitched out of the rotation in the New York-Penn League.  He got hit a little hard, but had good BB and K rates.  He had a large platoon split, holding left-handed hitters to a .564 OPS, while allowing a .756 OPS to right-handed hitters.  Baseball America rated him the Nationals’ 28th best prospect after the season.

2016
R (Wash):  0-0-0, 1.42 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 6.1 IP, 8.5 BB/9, 11.4 K/9
A (Wash):  1-0-0, 3.18 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 22.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 12.3 K/9
A:  1-1-0, 1.99 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 22.2 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 14.3 K/9

Hearn opened the season in the rotation in full season ball, throwing five shutout innings in his first start, but he suffered a broken foot in the first inning of his second start.  He missed two months, then pitched in relief after returning as the Nationals built up his strength.  He showed good control and had a very high strikeout rate.  After joining the Pirates, Hearn made five relief appearances and one three-inning start.  He showed both dominant stuff and control problems, striking out 21 and walking eight in 13.2 IP.  He finished the season with two starts covering nine innings total, in which he allowed six hits and two walks, and fanned 15.  Oddly, on the season Hearn allowed an OPS of .809 to left-handed hitters and only .576 to right-handed hitters, but the sample sizes were small.

2017
R:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, 2.0 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
A+:  4-6-0, 4.12 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 87.1 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 10.9 K/9

Hearn spent most of the season in the rotation at Bradenton.  In spite of the ERA, he mostly dominated.  The ERA resulted from a low strand rate of 67.9%; whatever happened against him tended to happen all at once.  His xFIP of 2.84 better reflects how he pitched.  Opponents put up a line of just 203/286/319 against him.  Hearn suffered an oblique strain in mid-August and went on the disabled list, but he returned in time to make one rehab appearance in the GCL.

Hearn’s season was much more encouraging than not and he greatly increased his workload over the previous season despite the missed time.  The Pirates will no doubt be cautious with him, but he should open 2018 in the Altoona rotation.