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Never saw him pitch.  Ten minutes' research.  Cheap at twice the price; refunds at 1-800-ELLISON

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Here is a vid of the 9th in his 2015 no-hitter.  Here is a signature 77 MPH slider to Jose Altuve.  And here is a series of pitches on a good day:

Pitch 1 = changeup down-in to LH, which pitch is Bizarro World and which Heston seems to enjoy

Pitch 2 = "burner" fastball at 91 MPH, looks like 88, but on the black

Pitch 3 = Nintendo slider, this one he must have snagged the laces open with his fingernail

Pitch 4 = overhand change curve

Pitch 5 = Low-away change with nice bite

Pitch 6 = MLB must favor hitter reaction shots I guess

Pitch 7 = 88 MPH down the pipe, plays up because of the filthy offspeed stuff earlier in the night

Pitch 8 = What do you even call it when it is half 2-seamer, half changeup.  Afraid this might be a 86 fatball, but, into a teacup

Pitch 9 = As pitch 8

Pitch 10 = As pitch 9.  Now we know it's an 86 fastball with big armside run (anti-cutter?!)

...

Fangraphs gives Heston's arsenal as 50% fatball, 20% slider 77 MPH, 20% overhand change curve 72 MPH, and 10% changeup 82 MPH.  He shows really good arm action on all his offspeed stuff, night after night.  Which makes Chris Heston --- > [HISASHI IWAKUMA ON A BAD DAY] --- > not that we intend "Iwakuma on a bad day" as an insult.  Other comps:

• Ian Kennedy, - a couple MPH
• Jered Weaver 2016, + several MHP
• Doug Fister, +1 MPH, -pinpoint command, -angles
• Kenta Maeda, -spit and polish
• Rick Porcello, in theory, at ceiling

The template used to be called JUNKBALLER, and later went to SMOKE AND MIRRORS, but within any template you've got your 90 percenters like Porcello and Maeda.  American pitchers who throw Japanese games are not my personal favorites; couldn't tell you exactly why.  Seems they lack that little razor's edge, or the pitchability, or something.  Greg Maddux, I'll give you.  After that, it gets dicey.

In 2015, Heston ran a 100 ERA* over 180 innings in the rotation as a rookie.  Last year was a washout, with -2 MPH to his fatball; you tell me why.

UPSIDE.  Rick Porcello ran 80-90 ERA's for five or six years before he just go hot, started throwing pitch after pitch where he wanted it.  This happens; a pitcher gets hot.  Always think of Esteban Loaiza's 2003 when I think of a major league starting pitcher who just went on a long hot-shooting streak from 3-point range.

Heston could also do the same at any time, or at no time; until then, if he's healthy, he's quality rotation depth.  And a 20%, 30% chance (? your take?) on a very pleasing little find in the rotation.

My quick take,

Jeff