Not many people are more qualified to evaluate pitchers–specifically southpaws than Neal Heaton. The former 12-year MLB veteran had worked with a number of the top pitchers from Long Island the past several years, including Steven Matz from the time he was 8-years-old so I don’t take his opinion lightly.
When he drops a comparison to a big league pitcher I take notice. Tonight while watching Rafe Schlesinger throw a bullpen session, Neal had some glowing reviews of the promising young pitcher.
“He’s the best pitcher I’ve had since Matz and I think he’s further along than him at the same age. I think he’s going to be very similar to Chris Sale and Josh Hader with his arm slot and his velocity,” he added.
The sophomore has yet to log significant innings on varsity, so he clearly has a long way to fulfill that prediction, but Neal knows a special talent when he sees it. Rafe is expected to form a formidable duo atop the rotation this season with Jacksonville-commit Roman Dorosh.
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
Who are some of your favorite pitchers in Major League Baseball and why?
I’m a big fan of Clayton Kershaw and Josh Hader because they’re lefties and because of Hader’s 3/4 arm slot.
Are you also a position player?
I like to play center fielder but I understand there’s kids out there better than me and that’s not where I’m going to compete in the future. I would like to continue playing center field but I know that’s not my future.
Speaking of the future, what is your ideal college destination?
I always thought of the top-tier Division-1s, but I don’t have anything specific–I’m not set on anything. The best offer I get I’ll probably go there.
What would you be interested in majoring in?
Anything sports related–maybe therapy or sports management.
Who are some individuals that have impacted your career?
Of course Coach Neal, my workout trainer Anthony and my high school coach Schnupp.
Did you play all last year on varsity?
Yes, but didn’t get a whole lot of playing time.
Were you a little disappointed or did you understand?
Nah, I knew how it would be coming in as the young kid in the group. I was very accepting of it. Plus, during practices the boys treated me well so it wasn’t bad at all.
What did you work on this summer? You really came into your own?
I worked on hitting a lot with Coach Schnupp. I worked with Neal a lot and worked on increasing velocity and my breaking ball.
What are your goals for this coming year?
Hopefully I can get a solid spot in the rotation. Hoping to prove myself, because I know I haven’t proved myself.
Have you learned a lot from spending time with Roman Dorosh?
Yes, he’s a good leader. Even at practice, he’s always one of the hardest workers on the field. He’s the first one out there and he develops good chemistry between all the players.
