I’ll say it: Jason Heyward is back
“What an idiot!”
If something about Jason Heyward’s .231/.306/.326 slash line indicates he’s had a good decent average bad season, you’d be awfully kind about it.
Let me tell you this: Heyward currently sports a 72 WRC+ and ranks 153rd out of 154 eligible in slugging percentage. It was so bad over the first four and a half months of the season that Maddon was essentially forced to give Heyward a breather for four consecutive games, including all three contests IN Colorado.
Look, you know how bad he’s been. I don’t need to sit here and tell you the numbers. The Cubs’ front office gave the right fielder 8 years and $184 million (if he maxes out the contract) and he has delivered a 1.3 fWAR solely from defense and base running.
Here’s the thing though. In Heyward’s last six games (at San Diego, at Los Angeles), the newly 27-year old has a triple slash line of .348/.348/.565 with a dinger and two doubles. Not too shabby.
I said it after his bomb in San Diego…
Heyward's back
— Cody (@SeeWainGo) August 23, 2016
…and now I’m prepared to fully claim it. Jason Heyward is back.
Now, now…am I out of my mind for saying this after such a ever-so-small sample size? I’m definitely crazy, but not because of that.
If Heyward’s BABIP would remain the same, it would be the second-lowest of his career at .268. It’s been a little erratic throughout his career, but I would say average is around .310 (eyeballing it). Along with the terrible luck he’s suffered through for four+ months, Heyward has virtually the same line drive rate as a year ago (19.2%), a ground ball rate less than last season (47.9%), and he’s hitting the ball to the middle of the field at his highest rate since 2011 (35.7%) if you don’t count 2015 when it was 36.2%.
He’s still hitting the ball very softly at a high rate, but that’s over the course of the season. After these last six games, it really does appear that he’s seeing the ball better than before. However, I am #NotAScout.
I’m hardly prone to use a small-sample size in order to prove a point, but I’m not trying to prove anything here. Heyward has looked significantly better as of late; he’s not as jerky at the plate, making harder contact, etc. Maybe Maddon has found the proper way to use him for the rest of the season, and that involves him basically sitting every time against a lefty. Against lefties, giving Soler the start (or whatever combination you want) and letting Heyward go out there as a defensive replacement late in the game is the perfect way to play it moving forward.
If there’s a time to get hot, it’s now. October is right around the corner.
*Featured image is courtesy of VivaelBirdos.com
