Heston Kjerstad, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft, is playing some of the best baseball of his life.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound outfielder is currently batting .273/.371/.597 with six home runs and 10 RBIs this season with Double-A Bowie entering play May 4.
Currently ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Orioles’ farm system per MLB Pipeline, Kjerstad is finding success at last. He was diagnosed with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, shortly after being drafted and did not return to competitive games until June 2022.
After an adjustment period at High-A Aberdeen last year, Kjerstad is back playing at a high level.
“I didn’t have many doubts, honestly,” Kjerstad said on Glenn Clark Radio April 20. “I kept my confidence high and kept my expectations up there too because I knew what I was capable of. Luckily, I’m in a spot where I think I’ve proved a lot to myself, but also still have more things to prove going forward for sure.”
An impressive performance in the Arizona Fall League in 2022 was a big factor in Kjerstad’s rise. He batted .357/.385/.622 and led the AFL in total hits (35), total bases (61), doubles (9) and extra-base hits (15) on his way to being crowned MVP of the league.
Kjerstad was then invited to big league camp this spring. While he was there, he built a relationship with Orioles catcher James McCann, who is in his 10th season in the majors and was an All-Star in 2019 with the White Sox.
McCann, 32, and Kjerstad, 24, initially shared a bond because they both went to Arkansas. The friendship grew from there.
“We knew some of the same people, but we didn’t know each other,” Kjerstad said. “So, we kind of gelled over that a little bit, but then eventually, he always gave me a little advice here and there. … Been an All-Star, so he has some great advice, just taking care of his business and everything. Super great guy, great teammate, player. So, he was a good guy to be able to get some advice from and be around for camp for sure.”
Kjerstad’s power was highly regarded coming out of college, as he hit 37 home runs in 150 games for Arkansas. He had posted a 1.304 OPS through 16 games in 2020 before the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his first week playing Double-A ball, Kjerstad left the yard four times in a series against the Akron Rubberducks. The lefty batter launched a no-doubter to deep right-center on April 15, showcasing the same pop that made his draft stock rise three years ago.
Kjerstad said that he’s not sure how far his longest home run traveled, but he does not seem too concerned about it.
“As long as it goes over the fence, it’s a homer,” he quipped.
As is common with power hitters, though, Kjerstad did struggle early on with a relatively high strikeout rate due to looking for big swings early in at-bats that put him behind in counts. That figure is improving so far this year. Kjerstad is focused on becoming a more consistent and complete player.
“For me it’s just showing up every day and getting as good as I can and learning as much as I can,” Kjerstad said. “Every day I have an opportunity to be at the field and get at-bats and everything, just taking those opportunities and compounding them day after day and using those opportunities to develop my skill set to be as good of a baseball player as I can.”
When Kjerstad was drafted in 2020, it was a bit of a surprise to many that he went that high. The Orioles wanted to save money in their bonus pool by signing Kjerstad to a below-slot $5.2 million bonus. While he did not get the chance to justify his selection until recently, the organization is beginning to see their risk turn into a reward.
Kjerstad is being patient with his ascension to the major leagues.
“I’m just trying to stay where my feet are. We all have a certain plan ahead of us, and we all want things to happen as soon as they can,” Kjerstad said. “But that’s not life. You’ve got to take things one day at a time, and the journey is the most important part. It’s why you’re going to end up where you end up.”
For more from Kjerstad, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Joseph Noyes