Chicago Cubs: Jason Heyward’s Strong Start is Encouraging
Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward has had a nice start to the 2017 season. Is he ready to bounce back?
The Chicago Cubs signed Jason Heyward to a massive eight-year, $184 million contract prior to the 2016 season. Heyward has never been an elite offensive player, but he can handle the bat, provides Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field and runs the bases extremely well. Plus, he was only 26-years-old at the time of the signing.
It is rare for such a young player with proven big league success to hit the open market like Heyward did. It is easy to see why the Cubs made him such a high priority. However, Heyward’s first season with the Cubs was a disaster.
The elite defense and base running was still there, but Heyward all of a sudden became one of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball. His bat was never elite, but it was always well above average. All of a sudden, Heyward was a huge liability in the Cubs lineup and he continued to be all season long.
To put in perspective how bad Heyward was last season, let’s take a look at how many runs he created. Weighted runs created plus (wRC+) is an awesome stat that tells us how many runs an offensive player was worth to his team. It adjusts for many factors including ballparks that a guy plays in.
If you are interested in the math, check it out here. But basically, it is a way for us to look at offensive value. FanGraphs tells us that a player who puts up a wRC+ of 100 is a league average player. In 2015 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Heyward had a wRC+ of 120. According to the stat, that is somewhere between an above average and great offensive player. Add in Heyward’s elite defense and baserunning and you have yourself an incredible overall baseball player.
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In 2016 with the Cubs, Heyward had an awful wRC+ of 72. So, according to the stat, Heyward was the fourth-worst offensive producer in Major League Baseball last season. Yeah, it was ugly.
Heyward reportedly reworked his swing this offseason, trying to find more power in his bat. His Spring Training results left plenty to be desired, but Heyward has looked pretty good at the plate for the Cubs through three regular season games.
I mean, we are talking about the smallest of sample sizes here, but it is great to see Heyward getting some base hits. He went 2-4 against the Cardinals on Thursday and is now 4-12 on the season. He is not exactly roping line drives deep to all fields, but it is certainly nice to see Heyward getting some hits to drop.
He is an extremely talented player who had a rough season. His 2016 struggles had nothing to do with his physical ability. Heyward got off to a tough start in a new city and was never able to get on track. The pressures of his big contract probably had a bit to do with it as well. His elongated swing did not help, but make no mistake about it, this was a mental issue.
Heyward getting some hits to drop early in the season is going to do wonders for his confidence. Him looking up and seeing that batting average at or around .300 will help him continue to have success. If Heyward gets stuck in an early season slump, it may be difficult for him to get out again.
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This fast start is a great sign. It does not mean that Heyward is automatically a huge offensive force. Honestly, I never expect him to really get back to that 120 wRC+ range. That being said, if he can just get around league average, Heyward can still be an incredibly valuable player.
The Chicago Cubs are loaded with talent all over the field. With a strong offensive season, Heyward could be as important as any of them.