‘Words can’t explain the feeling’: KC Royals’ Jonathan Heasley says of MLB debut start

Jonathan Heasley wasn’t planning on getting the call to go pitch for the Kansas City Royals in the majors this week. It caught him off guard so much that when Double-A Northwest Arkansas manager Scott Thorman called him and asked him to get to the ballpark in 10 minutes, Heasley started to worry a little bit.

When Heasley pulled up to the field, Thorman and the Double-A pitching coach Derrick Lewis were there waiting for him to deliver the once-in-a-lifetime news in person.

“He said, ‘You’re starting tomorrow night at Kauffman Stadium against the Seattle Mariners, you’re going to the big leagues,’” Heasley recalled as he shook his head as though still in disbelief after Friday night’s game.

Heasley said it wasn’t even part of his thought process that he might be called to the majors. He’d been focused on a playoff push with Northwest Arkansas. But the Royals officially promoted him on Friday to take Brady Singer’s place on the roster and as Friday night’s starter.

Singer was placed on the IL without an injury designation, usually a strong indication that his IL stint is COVID-related but does not necessarily mean he has contracted the virus.

A 6-foot-3, 225-pound right-hander and former 13th-round draft pick from the Royals in 2018, Heasley became the fifth pitcher from that class to start for the major-league club this season. That marked a first in MLB history.

“Words can’t explain the feeling,” Heasley said of being told he was going to the majors. “It’s something that I’ve worked for for my whole life. Just to finally know that all the work has paid off and I was able to do this tonight, it just means the world. I wouldn’t be out here without the Lord and family and friends, everybody who has helped me along the way. I just can’t say thank you enough.”

Heasley said his emotions were all over the place and his adrenaline was at an all-time high when he took the field in the first inning. He actually threw his first warmup pitch to the backstop.

He actually retired the first three batters he faced in the majors, J.P. Crawford, Mitch Haniger and former All-Star Kyle Seager, in a 1-2-3 first inning courtesy of a pair of fly balls and one grounder fielded by catcher Salvador Perez.

“I felt like once I got that first guy out and kind of got through that first inning, I was able to settle in a little bit,” Heasley said. “I obviously made a couple mistakes later in the game. It’s going to happen. It won’t be the last time I give up a couple homers, I’m sure.”

Heasley allowed four runs on six hits and didn’t walk a single batter. He struck out two. His first major-league start lasted just four innings.

One batter in the Mariners lineup changed the entire outlook of Heasley’s outing.

Mariners rookie center fielder Jarred Kelenic, ranked the No. 4 prospect in the minors by Baseball America prior to this season, hit a pair of two-run home runs off of Heasley to provide all the scoring the Mariners mustered through those first four innings.

In the second inning with a man on, the left-handed hitting Kelenic hit a 3-1 changeup on the inner half of the plate down the right-field line to make the score 2-0. Heasley wanted to throw that pitch more away than inside.

In the fourth with a man on, Kelenic hit a 3-2 curveball on the outside corner — but a little higher than Heasley intended — for a home run to center field.

“I thought his stuff looked great,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “I thought he threw much better than what the four runs were. Even looking at those pitches, you’re talking a 3-1 changeup and then a 3-2 curveball on the black away that ends up going out to center that cost him the four runs against the same hitter. Those are not terrible pitches.

“I thought he executed everything. The curveball was coming out well. He was able to throw the changeup in just about any count. He had good life on his fastball, moved it to both sides. I thought it was a really good outing. Unfortunately, two pitches really cost him.”

Heasley threw 75 pitches. The Royals had him on a limit because like many of their pitchers, they’re entering uncharted territory coming off of last year when the pandemic prevented the minor leagues from having games.

In 2019, Heasley threw 112 2/3 innings at Low-A. This year, he threw 105 1/3 for Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 22 games (21 starts) since the start of the minor-league season in May.

“I thought he did a fantastic job,” Royals All-Star second baseman Whit Merrifield said. “He pounded the zone. He worked quick. He didn’t walk anybody. I told when he got taken out, I said, ‘We can win a lot of games with you doing that.’”