Tyler Daschiel Herron (August 5, 1986 – October 22, 2021) was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher.
As a senior at Wellington High School in Florida, Herron led the nation with a 0.25 ERA. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the First Round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. Herron was ranked the Midwest League # 11 prospect in 2007, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 10 prospect, by Baseball America. He pitched for the Honolulu Sharks in the Rookie 2008 Hawaii Winter Baseball League, and led the league with a 0.69 ERA. Pitching for the Indios de Mayagüez in the winter of 2014, he was a post-season Puerto Rico Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente All Star and a Caribbean World Series All Star. He pitched as high as AAA in 2014 and 2016, for the Washington Nationals and New York Mets farm teams. In 2016, pitching for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, he led the independent American Association with a 0.80 ERA.
Herron pitched for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
In total, at all levels he pitched 16 seasons, and had a record of 103-95. Herron died on October 22, 2021, aged 35.
Early life
Herron was born and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida. He later lived in Wellington, Florida. He was of Puerto Rican descent, and one of his grandmothers was Jewish—as a result of which he was eligible to play for Team Israel.
He attended Wellington High School, in Wellington, Florida. Initially, in high school Herron played shortstop and third base. As a senior for the Wellington Wolverines, Herron led the nation with a 0.25 ERA, and struck out 81 batters in 57 innings. He was named to the 2005 ABCA/Rawlings High School All-America Second Team, along with among others future major leaguers Ike Davis and Scott Van Slyke.
Career
St. Louis Cardinals
Herron was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the First Round (46th, overall) of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. His agent was Jim Munsey, his former T-ball pitcher. He received a $675,000 signing bonus.
He began his professional career in 2005 with the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie Appalachian League, going 0–3 in 13 starts with a 5.62 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 49.2 innings as he kept opponents to a .245 batting average. Herron was ranked the Appalachian League # 20 prospect, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 12 prospect, in 2005 by Baseball America.
The following season, pitching for Johnson City, on August 13, 2006, Herron was voted Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week. In 13 starts for Johnson City he was 5–6 with one complete game and a 4.13 ERA, and he lost his one start with the State College Spikes of the Class A-Short New York-Penn League while giving up two runs in six innings. He was ranked the Appalachian League # 13 prospect, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 18 prospect, in 2006 by Baseball America. Pitching for Johnson City and State College, he averaged 8.88 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, third-best among Cardinals' minor leaguers.
In June 2007, pitching for the Class A Swing of the Quad Cities, he was named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month. On July 2, 2007, Herron was voted Midwest League Pitcher of the Week. For the season he was 10–7 with a 3.74 ERA, and in 137.1 innings gave up 26 walks while he had 130 strikeouts (6th in the league) as he kept opponents to a .240 batting average. He averaged 1.69 walks per nine innings as a starter, which was 4th-lowest among Midwest League starters, and his strikeout/walk ratio of 5.00 led the league. He threw primarily a mid-90s sinking fastball, a solid changeup, and a curveball with a good break. He was ranked the Midwest League # 11 prospect in 2007, and the St. Louis Cardinals # 10 prospect, by Baseball America.
Pitching for the Class A-Advanced Palm Beach Cardinals, on August 4, 2008, Herron was voted Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. For the season for the team, he was 2–2 with a 2.70 ERA in 15 starts, and in 56.2 innings he gave up 11 walks as he kept opponents to a .234 batting average. Pitching for the Springfield Cardinals of the AA Texas League, he was 5–5 with a 5.20 ERA. He was ranked the St. Louis Cardinals # 23 prospect after the 2008 season by Baseball America. He pitched for the Honolulu Sharks in the Rookie 2008 Hawaii Winter Baseball League, and led the league with a 0.69 ERA.
Pitching for the Springfield Cardinals in 2009 he was 2–4 with a 4.34 ERA in 9 starts. Herron was released by the St. Louis Cardinals in June 2009.