Tyler Heineman #55

Tyler Andrew Heineman...Was college teammates of Gerrit Cole on the 2010 UCLA Bruins College World Series qualifying team...Played three seasons at UCLA (2010-12), advancing to the College World Series twice (2010 & 2012)...Selected as a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist after hitting .351 with seven doubles and 26 RBI as a junior...Left UCLA tied as the single-season record holder for hit by pitch (18) in 2012...His brother, Scott Heineman, was an outfielder with the Texas Rangers and the Cincinnati Reds...Performs magic tricks with cards...Began this hobby while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic...Found he had a skill for it and developed his craft while watching DVD and took private lessons from a man he met after he happened to wander into a magic shop...He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two daughters.

2025

Among catchers, ranked T-6th in DRS (10), trailing only Patrick Bailey (19), Freddy Fermin (13), Carlos Narvaez (11), Luis Torrens (11) and Adley Rutschman (11)...Threw out 16 of 53 attempted basestealers (30.2%), the seventh-highest mark among qualified catchers in the AL...Ranked tied for eighth among AL catchers in fWAR (2.1)...His .429 AVG was the second-best through a player’s first 21 games of a season in franchise history (min. 50 PA), trailing John Olerud (.455 in 1993)...At Rogers Centre on the year, slashed .313/.370/.500 with six doubles, a pair of home runs, 14RBI, 12 runs and an .870 OPS...Against left-handed pitching on the year, slashed .395/.449/.558 with four doubles, a home run, eight RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.007 OPS in 50 plate appearance...With RISP, slashed .324/.386/.432 with four doubles, 16 RBI and an .819 OPS...Recorded his first career walk-off hit on Sept. 9 vs. HOU...Went 3-for-4 on April 20 vs. SEA, his fourth multi-hit game and second three-hit game on the year...His .500 AVG was the highest by a catcher in their first eight games of a season in franchise history (min. 25 AB)...On April 10 at BOS, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base while throwing out a pair of runners...Was his second career three-hit game (also: May 31, 2022 at LAD)...Hit his second career home run on March 30 vs. BAL..Marked his first home run as a Blue Jay and his first home run since Sept. 26, 2019 at NYM, as a member of the Miami Marlins.

2024

In 22 games between Pittsburgh and Toronto, hit .237 (9-for-38) with a double, a triple, three RBI, eight walks, a .383 OBP and a .699 OPS...Between Triple-A Indianapolis and Buffalo, played a combined 42 games batting .230 (31-for-135) with six extra-base hits, 19 RBI, a .352 OBP, and a .671 OPS...Began the season with Triple-A Indianapolis before having his contract selected by Pittsburgh on April 4...Played in three games with Pittsburgh before being designated for assignment and later dealt to Toronto...Recalled by Toronto three times, including from Sept. 2 through the remainder of the season...Reached base safely three times on Oct. 1 vs. TB with a triple, a walk and three RBI.

2023

Split the season between the PIT and TOR organizations, playing in 22 MLB games and 42 Triple-A games...Opened the season with Indianapolis but played in only one game (1-for-1, 2 BB) before being selected to the PIT roster on 4/4. Played in three games with the Pirates before being optioned on 4/14 and designated for assignment on 4/26...Traded to TOR on 4/30 (in exchange for SS Vinny Capra) and optioned to Buffalo...Recalled by TOR three times, including on 9/2 for the rest of the season...In the Jays’ final game (10/1 vs. TB), had three RBI and reached base three times (2-for-3, BB, 3B)...Was named to TOR’s Wild Card roster against MIN but did not play in a game. 

2022

Hit a combined .217 (34-for-157) with eight doubles and nine RBI in 62 games between Toronto and Pittsburgh…Was signed by Toronto as a Minor League free agent on 3/13…Began the season with Buffalo (Blue Jays’ AAA) before having his contract selected by Toronto on 4/11…Played in 10 games with Toronto before being optioned back to Buffalo on 5/14…Was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh on 5/16…Recorded a career-high three hits in his start on 5/31 at Dodger Stadium…Was placed on the paternity list on 7/5 and transferred to the bereavement/ family medical emergency list on 7/8…Was activated from the bereavement list on 7/15…Was placed on the 10-day injured list on 8/4 with a right groin strain…Was reinstated on 8/17…Hit safely in seven straight games from 9/2-16, going 8-for-20 (.400)… Was placed on the concussion injured list on 9/23 before being activated on 10/2.

2021

Split the 2021 season between a pair of Triple-A squads, Memphis and Lehigh Valley...Combined to hit .264 with six doubles, 11 RBI and 16 walks over 41 games (.345 OBP)...Saw an average of 3.97 pitchers per plate appearance, the 2nd-highest mark of his career (4.04 in 2017)...Threw out nine of 38 attempted base stealers (23.7%) over 30 starts behind the plate.

2020

Was the Giants starting catcher on Opening Day at LAD (7/23), the first catcher other than Buster Posey since Bengie Molina in 2010...Was 2-for-3 at LAD (7/23) on Opening Day becoming the first Giants starting catcher with a multi-hit game on Opening Day in franchise history...Charged with three catchers interference calls, the second most by a Giants catcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961), trailing only Tom Haller with four in 1965...Threw out 38.4% (5 CS/13 SB ATT) of attempted base stealers...Made his Major League pitching debut in the 9th inning vs. OAK (8/16) tossing a scoreless inning as Mauricio Dubón doubled off Chad Pinder at second base on a line drive off the bat of Vimael Machín. He caught the first 8.0 innings, then pitched the 9th, according to Elias Sports Bureau, since 1900, the only other Giants player to catch and pitch in the same game was Frank Bowerman on September 23, 1904. Bowerman was the starting catcher for the New York Giants, caught for 8.0 innings, then pitched the 9th, giving up four runs. Was the first Giants position player to pitch since Pablo Sandoval at CIN (5/6/19)...Hit safely in his first four games, becoming the first Giants catcher to hit safely in his first four games since Buster Posey did in his first six games of the 2011 season. Teammate and rookie catcher Joey Bart would hit safely in his first four games later in the 2020 season...Played against his brother Scott, an outfielder with the Texas Rangers, 8/1 at SF. Both brothers recorded a hit and scored a run in the game...Optioned to the Alternate Training Site on August 20 as the Giants promoted top catching prospect Joey Bart...Recalled from the Alternate Training Site on September 22 to replace Chadwick Tromp (right shoulder strain), appearing in three games and had two at-bats.

2019

Started the season with Triple-A Reno and hit .325 (26- for-80) with 13 RBI in 25 games before being traded to the Miami Marlins on June 4... Appeared in 48 games for Triple-A New Orleans, batting .341 (56-for-164) with 10 home runs and 25 RBI... Has his contract purchased by Miami on September 3 and made his Major League debut on September 4 as a pinch-hitter, going 0-for-1... Recorded his first career hit on September 25 at New York-NL (double) and recorded his first career home run on September 26 at New York-NL off Zack Wheeler... Was named a MiLB.com organizational All-Star for Miami.

2018

Spent the majority of the season with Double-A Biloxi and hit .254 with 11 doubles, 4 home runs and 23 RBI in 72 games…also played in 6 games with Triple-A Colorado Springs...Combined to throw out 32.4 pct. of attempted basestealers (24-for-74)...Batted .310 (18-for-58) vs. left-handed pitchers.

2016

Made his third straight appearance at Major League Spring Training camp and played in 12 games for the Astros, hitting .217 (5x23) with a double and two RBI...was assigned to Triple A Fresno and played the entire season at the Triple A level...finished the season hitting .259 (62x239) with nine doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI and a .344 OBP...the switch-hitter faired evenly against lefties (.256 BA) and righties (.261 BA) on the year...played in 66 games at catcher, including 64 starts...threw out 19 of 57 attempting basestealers for a 33% clip..

2015

Played in 78 combined games between Fresno (56g) and Double A Corpus Christi (22g), combining to hit .285 (79x277) with 17 doubles, three homers, 30 RBI and a .334 on-base percentage...began the year at Double A where he hit .318 (27x85) with a .383 OBP in 22 games...threw out six of 13 runners attempting to steal (54%)...was promoted to Triple A for the first time in his career on May 21...batted .271 (52x192) during his time with Fresno...all three of his homers with Fresno came in the final 13 games of the season...

2014

Spent the entire season with Corpus Christi...played in 78 games, with 70 behind the dish...owned a .242 batting average (64x265) with 15 doubles...hit .286 (18x63) with four doubles, two triples and a .788 OPS (.375 OBP/.413 SLG) in 18 games during the month of May...had eight at-bats with the bases loaded, hitting at a .375 clip with nine RBI...posted a .994 fielding percentage (4E/642TC)...played in three games for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League...was invited to his first Major League Spring Training prior to the season on Jan. 14...appeared in four Spring Training games and hit .500 (1x2) with an RBI..

2013

Skipped low A ball and played his entire second professional season with Advanced Class A Lancaster...hit .286 (106x370) with 23 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 71 RBI and a .361 on-base percentage in 104 games...led all California League catchers in fielding percentage (.991), assists (90) and caught stealing percentage (41.7%) in his 100 games behind the dish...hit .297 (93x313) against right-handed pitchers...hit his first professional home run on May 19 vs. Rancho Cucamonga, which marked his 90th game as a professional.

2012

Selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the June draft out of UCLA on June 5...was the first catcher taken by Houston in the 2012 draft...signed his professional contract on June 22...reported to Class A Tri-City, where he led the New York-Penn League with a .358 (69x193) batting average...also ranked second in the NYPL in OBP (.452) and OPS (.882)...hit 14 doubles, drove in 26, walked 26 times and struck out only 12 times in his 55 games on the season...posted a .997 fielding percentage (1E/311TC) in his 37 games behind the plate...played his other 18 games on the season as a designated hitter...named the Tri-City Defensive Player of the Month in August.