2010 Rookie Spotlight: Jason Heyward

Jason Heyward

Atlanta Braves #22
Position: Right Field
Born: August 9, 1989 in Ridgewood, NJ (age 20)
Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6′ 5″ Weight: 245 lbs

The consensus number one prospect by Baseball America has been impressive in his short time in the big leagues.

Jason Heyward played first base for Henry County High School in Donough, Georgia and was drafted 14th overall in the 2007 MLB Draft by the hometown Atlanta Braves. After being drafted, Heyward was sent to the Gulf Coast League to play for the Braves farm team. As a 17 year-old kid, Heyward was making a name for himself, becoming the Braves number one prospect in 2007.

In 2008, Heyward spent the year in Class A. He started off in their Class A affiliate Rome and then finished the year in Advanced A of Myrtle Beach. With high expectations at such a young age, Heyward had a good season. In 127 games combined with both clubs, Heyward batted .316 with 11 HR and 52 RBI. He also scored 91 runs and had 15 SB to go with an .854 OPS.

Heyward took off in 2009, moving up the ranks of the Braves system. That year Heyward went from Myrtle Beach to Double A affiliate Mississippi to their Triple A club in Gwinnett. That year, Heyward was the Minor League Player of The Year compiling a .323 AVG, 17 HR and 63 RBI in 99 games. He also had a .963 OPS, 10 SB and scored 69 runs that season. In that offseason, the Braves looked at Heyward as the future and Bobby Cox wanted to give him a shot.

In Spring Training 2010, Heyward had a good shot of making the club after being the consensus choice as the top prospect in the game. Heyward had a tremendous spring, knocking the cover off the ball and hitting majestic blasts. Even Chipper Jones, who saw Andruw Jones come up in 1996, says that Heyward is the best prospect he has seen. He was the talk of the league in the spring. This led to Bobby Cox naming him the starting right fielder.

The seaon for Heyward has started off with a bang. In his first career at-bat against Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs, Heyward hit one of his majestic shots over the right field fence for a three run homerun. He was the winner of the NL Player of the Month for April, and the sky is the limit for him. In 32 games in the majors, Heyward is batting .287, 8 HR and 28 RBI. He is the front runner for the NL Rookie of the Year. He has played stellar in right field and has become a quiet leader for the young Atlanta Braves club.

Heyward is a phenomenal hitter with a lot of discipline. He has a high OBP and that makes him such a feared hitter. He does not strike out as much compared to the other power-hitting stars in the league. He learned a new position in right field after being drafted as a first baseman. He is going to be one of the most-feared hitters in the league for years to come, and could be the reason why his hometown Braves have a shot at a playoff berth in the NL.