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San Francisco Giants rookie Chris Heston tossed MLB’s first no-hitter of the 2015 season Monday night.
In a thoroughly dominant performance against the New York Mets, the righty struck out 11, walked zero (he hit three batters, which was a record in its own right) and needed just 110 pitches to complete the gem.
No-hitter for Giants rookie Chris Heston against the Mets. His sinker was brilliant. His curveball was deadly. His strike zone was enormous.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 10, 2015
The final out came on a strikeout looking from Ruben Tejada:
Here’s everything you need to know about the 27-year-old.
1. He Was Drafted 3 Times
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Heston, who was at Seminole Community College in Florida at the time, was drafted in the 47th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2007 but decided to return to school. He was then taken in the 29th round by the Washington Nationals the following year but instead went to East Carolina.
Finally, the Giants took him in the 12th round of the 2009 draft, and he opted to sign. He slowly but surely moved his way through the minors, pitching at least 148.0 innings at each of Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A before getting the call to the Show in September of 2014.
2. He Made 3 MLB Appearances in 2014
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Heston got what you would call a minuscule cup of coffee in 2014. In one start and a pair of relief appearances, he allowed three runs, six hits and three walks in 5.1 innings.
As a result, he maintained his rookie status for the 2015 season.
3. He Has Been a Roller-Coaster in 2015
Heston has been the epitome of unpredictable this season. In 12 starts, counting Tuesday’s brilliant no-hitter, he has given up one earned run or less in seven games, and five earned runs or more in five. Nothing in between.
Three of those bad games had come in his previous four starts before Tuesday, but it’s safe to say he’s back on track.
4. He Has Already Entered the Giants Record Books
In just the eighth start of his career, Heston tossed a complete game against the AL West-leading Houston Astros, giving up two hits and striking out 10. He became the first rookie in team history to accomplish that feat since Tim Lincecum in 2007.
Lincecum, of course, finished that season with a 4.00 ERA but won the next two Cy Young Awards.
5. He Throws With Very Little Velocity
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The similarities with Lincecum quickly stop, though. While Big Time Timmy Jim was 5’11” and regularly approached 100 MPH on the radar, Heston is 6’3″ and usually hovers around 90 MPH, if not much lower.
According to FanGraphs, Heston’s average fastball, which is actually defined as a sinker because of its movement, is just 89.3 MPH. His max velocity on that pitch is 92.9 MPH, while his curveball comes in at an average of 75.9 MPH and his changeup at 82.6.
Heston may not have overpowering stuff, but he relies on movement, command and inducing a ton of ground balls. As we saw Tuesday, that’ll work just fine.