Engaged, fiancée's name is Klaire. The couple got engaged in Jan. 2024...His nickname is "Silent J."...Attended the University of Arkansas and Canyon Randall (Texas) HS...Received his Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Sport Management from Arkansas' College of Education and Health Professions in the Fall of 2020...Told his parents he would finish his degree after he got drafted...Selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 36th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft following his senior year of high school but did not sign...Family dog Oreo went viral on the night Heston was selected by the Orioles in the 2020 MLB Draft...Likes country, rap and hip-hop music...His favorite baseball movie is Moneyball...Favorite sport other than baseball is football...His favorite player growing up was Derek Jeter...Participated in the 2023 Birdland Caravan...Older brother Dexter played four MiLB seasons (2014-17) as an outfielder in the Royals and Marlins organizations...Hit .448/.513/.791 (30-for-67) with five doubles, six home runs, 19 runs and 20 RBI in 16 games during his junior season at Arkansas in 2020, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic...Led the Razorbacks in batting average, hits, home runs, RBI, total bases (53), on-base percentage and slugging...Started all 16 games in right field and recorded at least one hit in each game...Named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List as well as being named a First-Team Preseason All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game...Ranked as the No. 10 overall draft prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 13 prospect by Baseball America...As a sophomore in 2019 helped lead Arkansas to their second straight College World Series...Homered in each of the Fayetteville Regional, Fayetteville Super Regional and College World Series...Hit .327/.400/.575 (87-for-266) with 13 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 53 runs, and 51 RBI in 65 games on the year...His 17 home runs were a career-best and were tied for the second-most in the SEC...Named to the All-SEC Second-Team... As a true freshman in 2018, named the SEC Freshman of the Year along with being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and the All-SEC Second Team after helping lead Arkansas to the College World Series...Made 69 starts for the Razorbacks, all of which came in the outfield and hit .332/.419/.553 (87-for-262) with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, 65 runs and 58 RBI...Kjerstad’s 14 home runs set an Arkansas freshman single-season record and his 87 hits tied the freshman single-season record...Named an NCBWA First-Team Freshman All-American as well as a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American...Attended Canyon Randall (Texas) HS where he was named the District 3-5A Newcomer of the Year in 2015 and the District 3-5A MVP and First Team 5A All-State Player in 2016...Named a member of the Amarillo Globe-News 2016 Baseball Super Team and attended the 2016 Perfect Game National Showcase.
2023
Had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk on 9/14 and made his MLB debut later that night vs. TB...Collected his first career hit, a solo home run, on 9/15 vs. TB. Became the 11th player in O’s history to homer for his first career hit and first since Gunnar Henderson (8/31/22 at CLE)...Slugged his second career homer on 9/19 at HOU. Became the sixth rookie in team history (since 1954) with two-or-more homers in his first five career games, joining Chance Sisco (2, 2017), Trey Mancini (3, 2016), Manny Machado (3, 2012), Andrés Mora (2, 1976) and Curt Belfary (3, 1965)...Each of his first five career hits registered an exit velocity of at least 94 mph. Three of his first seven career knocks went for extra bases...Slashed .303/.376/.528 (145-for-479) with 29 doubles, eight triples, 21 homers, 87 runs, 55 RBI, 42 walks, 16 hit-by-pitches and five stolen bases in 122 games between Norfolk and Double-A Bowie. Appeared in LF (16 G), RF (49 G) and 1B (38 G) between the two levels...Selected to the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on 7/8 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Started in right field, batting sixth and went 1-for-2 with a single...Named a Baseball America Minor League All-Star and MiLB.com Organization All-Star...Made his first career postseason roster but did not appear in any games. Became the first Orioles rookie outfielder on a postseason roster since 2016 (Hyun Soo Kim)...Enters the 2024 season ranked as the No. 5 O’s prospect and No. 32 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline and the No. 5 O's prospect and No. 41 overall prospect by Baseball America.
2022
Made his professional debut with Low-A Delmarva on 6/10 vs. Fayetteville...Hit his first professional home run on 6/24 vs. Lynchburg...In 22 games with Delmarva, slashed .463/.551/.650 (37-for-80) with nine doubles, two home runs, 17 runs scored, 17 RBI and 13 walks with a 1.201 OPS...From 6/10-7/10, led the Carolina League in average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS; ranked tied for first in doubles, second in hits and fourth in total bases (52)...Named the Orioles Minor League Player of the Month for June after hitting .429/.500/.589 (24-for-56) with six doubles, one home run, 11 runs scored, 11 RBI, six walks and 1.089 OPS in 15 games with the Shorebirds...Promoted to High-A Aberdeen on 7/13, where he spent the remainder of the season...Slashed .233/.312/.362 (38-for-163) with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 28 runs scored, 20 RBI and 16 walks in 43 games with the IronBirds...Combined to slash .309/.394/.457 (75-for-243) with 17 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 45 runs scored, 37 RBI, 29 walks and an .851 OPS in 65 games between Delmarva and Aberdeen in his first professional season; named an Organization AllStar by MiLB.com...Following the season, played for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League; named an AFL Rising Star and AFL Most Valuable Player after hitting .357/.385/.622 (35-for-98) with nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 13 runs scored, 17 RBI and a 1.007 OPS in 22 games and pacing the AFL in hits, doubles, extra-base hits (15), and total bases (61)...Enters the 2023 season ranked as the No. 6 Orioles prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 12 by Baseball America; ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 80 overall prospect.
2021
Did not play during the regular season (myocarditis)...Participated in the team's Fall Instructional League camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla...Ranked as the No. 6 Orioles prospect, according to Baseball America.
2020
Did not play during the regular season, because of the cancellation of the minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic...Ranked as the No. 4 Orioles prospect and the No. 86 overall prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America’s Mid-Season update.
