Chicago Cubs: Is it too Early To Slide Jason Heyward to the Leadoff Spot?
After a forgettable 2016 season, Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward retooled his swing in the offseason and the results are showing early in 2017.
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon named Kyle Schwarber the leadoff hitter before the season started. He has performed admirably, but not outstanding. His slash line of .232/.368/.446 is impressive along with his three home runs, eight runs batted in and 11 walks.
The one number that stands out is his 23 strikeouts. Granted, Schwarber sees a lot of pitches each at bat, that is far too many strikeouts for a leadoff hitter.
The Chicago Cubs are not exactly lighting up the scoreboard up each night. They are 8-7 and rank 14th in runs per game.
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Schwarber should be moved down the batting order. If that happens, however, who takes the leadoff spot?
Look at none other than Jason Heyward. Heyward worked hard to improve his swing over the offseason and the results show. He his hitting .294/.345/.333 and tied for second for hits on the team. Most of Heyward’s hits this season have been singles which would bode well for a lead-off hitter. He has some sneaky power as well.
Heyward is suited for the leadoff position because he puts the ball in the play more often than Schwarber. He does not walk as often as Schwarber, but he strikes out at a lower rate, and he is a faster and better base runner than Schwarber.
Schwarber is best suited for the fourth spot in the batting order. He will get more opportunities to drive in runs batting behind high on-base guys like Heyward, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo. Ben Zobrist could slide to the fifth spot and everyone slides down a position accordingly.
Heyward has proven he can hit the ball hard this year and it will benefit the Cubs by having a more traditional leadoff hitter than a slugger like Kyle Schwarber. Having a traditional leadoff hitter worked in 2015 and 2016 when the Chicago Cubs employed Dexter Fowler. Why change what is working?