Unlike some other players in this era of movement, Andrew Heaney doesn’t have a lot of connections to the New York Yankees; he played briefly with Giancarlo Stanton his rookie year in Miami, and he of course pitched against Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor when he was an Angel and they were Texas Rangers, but other than that, most of the team and coaching staff is brand new.
So, he’s excited to be in New York, but wants to make sure he stays out of the way, too.
“I would love to learn from all of these guys; I’m going to try to pick their brains just on how the Yankees do things,” Heaney said Sunday ahead of his first start in pinstripes. “I’m excited. Sometimes hearing different voices and getting different info can be really helpful, and I want to get to know these guys here and try not to get in anyone’s way as I integrate into the team.”
As he joked, one of the biggest issues with his trade to New York is that much of the accoutrement he owns – gloves, cleats, etc. – are red, so finding items to not clash with the pinstripes was agenda item number one.
Of course, pitching takes precedent to that, all jokes aside, and after being dealt on Friday, Heaney spent the weekend diving into the preliminary crash course of Yankees analytics.
“We’ve very briefly gone over some of the different pitch metrics and usage, and I think game planning will be a big thing,” Heaney said. “As we get going, there will be more of taking that game planning into sides, bullpens, and throwing programs, and making that part of my routine. There’s a lot of info already, I think they’re trying to work me in slowly, but once I’ve been here a bit I think some of the things they’ve talked about will take shape.”
Heaney is coming in hot to a pennant race, as he’ll make his first start Monday in a game where the Yankees are just 2 ½ games back of a Wild Card spot.
“Coming in here, the guys are playing well and fired up, and the team made some additions everyone is excited about,” he said. “I’m excited to be here and try to integrate into the way we do things. It’s gonna be fun.”
And, he’s looking forward to doing that at Yankee Stadium.
“I love playing baseball, and getting to put on the uniform. I’ve pitched at Yankee Stadium as a visitor, and I’m excited to feel that energy with the home team,” he said.
It’s a new start, and hopefully one Heaney can use to improve both on the mound and in his pitching line, which in some ways belies how effective he has been at times.
“Some people will tell you ERA isn’t always a great indication of how you’re throwing the ball. I think I’ve walked a few more people than I normally do and given up a few big hits with runners on that made up a couple awful starts,” Heaney said. “Definitely not where I want to be, but I think there’s a few factors with that.”
Welcome to New York, where maybe a few simple tweaks can be the difference that turns Heaney into a dangerous force for the Yankees down the stretch.
“I’ve touched briefly on a few things I can change or get better with, to help me hopefully have more success,” he said. “It hasn’t been a great start to the season, but I feel good mechanically and physically, I think there are a few tweaks I can make that can make a difference.”
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