Marlins prospect Heaney dominating Minors

Left-hander Andrew Heaney, the Marlins' No. 3 prospect, didn't allow a run in his five starts during July at Class A Advanced Jupiter. Thursday night, he started August in similar fashion, throwing six shutout innings in his Double-A Jacksonville debut.

Heaney struck out three batters, extending his scoreless-innings streak to 34. He needed just 79 pitches to get through six innings against Chattanooga and excite Andy Barkett, his new manager.

"I was really impressed," Barkett told MiLB.com. "[Heaney] was poised and under control. I was really super impressed with his performance tonight."

Since returning from a strained lat muscle that kept him out until May, Heaney has pitched like the Marlins expected he would when they selected him ninth overall in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Heaney boasts a 6-2 record with an 0.80 ERA and a 69-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 67 2/3 innings between Jupiter and Jacksonville this season.

Heaney last allowed a run in the fourth inning of his June 29 start. Since then, Heaney has been dominant. In his final five starts for Jupiter, he struck out 22 batters and allowed just 16 hits in 27 innings.

His introduction to the Southern League was more of the same for Heaney, who is ranked No. 54 on MLB.com's Top 100 prospect list. He pounded the strike zone with his solid three-pitch mix, keeping batters off balance.

"I had some adrenaline going, and [I] was anxious to get out there," Heaney told MiLB.com. "My fastball was good tonight and whenever I needed to go to a second pitch the changeup was there."