Trey Hearne

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #29 prospect in 2010
  Hearne ranked second in the low Class A Midwest League with a 2.25 ERA in 2006, but after he got torched for a 5.95 ERA the following season in high Class A, the Cardinals loaned him to Minatitlan in the Mexican League for the 2008 season. He pitched well and was selected to pitch in the all-star game there, but his season ended in May when he came down with elbow tendinitis. In his return to the United States, he led Cardinals farmhands with 14 wins and ranked second with a 2.92 ERA. He began the year in Springfield's bullpen, but in his second start he set a franchise record with 13 strikeouts in six innings. Hearne doesn't delight the radar gun with velocity or defy gravity with his breaking ball. What he does is throw with uncanny control and enough movement and deception to make his assortment of pitches hard to read and harder to hit squarely. At its best, his fastball zips at 88-89 mph, but his smooth delivery and quick release allow the ball to get on hitters quickly. He also throws a curveball and changeup, teasing the edges of the strike zone with all of his offerings. Hearne projects as a middle reliever and could get a big league look in 2010 after opening the season in Triple-A.
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  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #21 prospect in 2007
  A darling of the Cardinals results-oriented evaluation, Hearne doesn't have a fastball that lights up radar guns or a breaking pitch that buckles knees. He has unblinking control and uncanny performance, though, and he continues to have success. An academic all-American at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, he established the school's season record with 116 strikeouts in 2005. He's the seven-year-old program's winningest pitcher, and his 16-5 mark as a pro is a testament to his savvy. He bounced between the rotation and the bullpen in low Class A last year. At one point he retired 21 consecutive batters as a reliever before returning to the rotation. He works with a sneaky-fast fastball that explodes out of his smooth delivery and has late movement. At his best, he tops out at 88-89 mph, but his pitches are difficult to square. He uses his changeup as a chase pitch and can throw his curveball while behind in the count. Control is his best asset, and he keeps the ball down and works both sides of the zone. Hearn understands his abilities and is ready to prove himself at a higher level. He profiles as a middle reliever but could keep surprising people.