Q&A with Braves 18th Round Pick Ross Heffley

The Braves selected second baseman Ross Heffley in the 18th round out of Western Carolina University. He sat down with us for a Q&A session to talk about being drafted by the Braves, who he would compare his game to at the big league level, and more.

AtlantaDugout.com: I am going to start off by saying congratulations on getting drafted.

Ross Heffley: Thank you, yeah, I’m very excited.

AtlantaDugout.com: Can you tell us a little bit about what is going through your mind after being selected by the Braves?

Heffley: I’m just very excited to be able to continue my baseball career especially with the Atlanta Braves. They’re my hometown team; I live about thirty minutes away from Turner Field and all my buddies and myself are big Braves fans. It’s just a dream come true.

AtlantaDugout.com: Can you talk a little bit about your game and how you see yourself fitting into the Braves organization?

Heffley: It will be up to them as to what position I play. I feel like I’m a second basemen but I can play all over the field. I’m going to try to help the organization out anyway that I can. I feel like I can play a pretty solid defense at second, third, or even at a corner outfield. I’ll just do whatever I can and then hopefully hit the ball.

AtlantaDugout.com: What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses?

Heffley: I feel like I have the ability to get a high average and move runners around. Hopefully play a solid defense at second base; I feel like I can turn the double play pretty good. Weaknesses; one of the things I need to work on is my range defensively and my speed as well. I feel like I did a good job improving my speed during this offseason. I had career high in stolen bases here at Western Carolina University. I hope I can keep improving on that, get faster become a better base runner, and maybe a threat on the bases later in my career.

AtlantaDugout.com: Who would you compare yourself to at the major-league level so that our Braves fans have someone to compare you to?

Heffley: I guess just because I’m short, I’m only 5-foot-8, and I play second base; so I guess I could be compared to Dustin Pedroia just in terms of body type. I feel like our style of game is pretty similar because he’s pretty scrappy, he’s kind of a bear and basically to state facts I feel like that’s my approach to the plate too. In that respect we are comparable.

AtlantaDugout.com: Were you surprised that the Braves took you in the draft or did you see it coming?

Heffley: I knew they were interested and the Braves scout had been calling me the past couple weeks. I knew there was a chance that that’s where I would go. I was very excited when I got the call in the eighteenth round and I am very excited to be playing for them.

AtlantaDugout.com: What would you say is your best moment in baseball and why?

Heffley: You know I had some great moments at Western Carolina; I played with some great teams and teammates. Over all I think my best moment was my senior year in high school when we won the state championship at Brookwood. It was amazing; eight of the guys were seniors and some of my best friends. It was just a blast getting to play on that team and win.

AtlantaDugout.com: Now you’re from Georgia so would you say that the Braves was your favorite team growing up, so who was your favorite player from that team?

Heffley: Actually when I was younger my dad was a Yankees fan from Pennsylvania. I was kind of raised rooting for the Yankees, I didn’t move to Atlanta until the fifth grade. When I was little I was a big Derek Jeter fan and I stuck with them and then once I moved to Atlanta and hopping on the Braves band wagon; especially with all my buddies being big Braves fans.