Former troubled Yankees top prospect Slade Heathcott becoming pilot

He could fly around the outfield, but not like this.

Slade Heathcott, a former top prospect for the Yankees and 2009 first-round pick, is moving on from baseball and taking to the skies.

“Next Chapter: I have talked enough… it’s time to do!” the 28-year-old tweeted Monday morning. “It’s time to create my own path, it’s time for me to deviate. Commercial Piloting here I come!”

It’s been a rocky journey from the bottom to the literal top for Heathcott, who will finish his career having played in 17 major league games — all with the Yankees in 2015 — in which he batted .400 (10-for-25) with two home runs.

Heathcott, from Texarkana, Texas, battled both alcohol problems and injuries as he tried to scale the Yankees’ organizational ladder. The Yankees were so concerned with his alcohol abuse they once feared for his life, but Heathcott sought and got help and overcame his demons.

Heathcott never lived up to his first-round billing, and the Yankees, with a crowded and deep outfield, released him in 2016. He bounced from the White Sox to Giants to A’s and even to Independent leagues in the ensuing years. Last year he appeared in 31 games for Triple-A Nashville (of Oakland) and slashed .266/.333/.376.

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