Jason Heyward

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10+12-game deficit for the wild card position by winning 20 of their final 28 games, eliminating the Braves from the playoffs on the final day of the season. The Braves' failure to make the playoffs was one of the epic late-season collapses in MLB history. [49] [50] Heyward's overall performance dropped off from his performance during his rookie season. His batting average dropped 50 points to .227; his other contributions, also in decline, included 14 home runs and 42 RBIs in 128 games. [47]

Heyward entering the dugout before a spring training game in 2011 Jason Heyward.jpg
Heyward entering the dugout before a spring training game in 2011

2012

In an effort to improve his performance, Heyward took extra steps in his preseason preparation. He streamlined his swing to mitigate bad habits incorporated after the shoulder injury. He modified his diet to include more fruits, chicken, and fish. Further, he participated in physical therapy to strengthen the shoulder and worked for a leaner weight, dropping from 256 pounds (116 kg) to 235 pounds (107 kg). [51] He started the 2012 season slowly. However, his bases-loaded double on May 13 off Lance Lynn drove in the game-winning run as the Braves triumphed over the Cardinals, 7–4. [52]

On June 7, Heyward's first multi-HR game of the season (and the second of his career) helped secure an 8–2 victory over the Marlins. [53] On June 19, he threw the New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira out at home plate, preserving a 4–3 win. [54] In a 12-game hitting streak that spanned from June 13 to 27, Heyward batted .455 (20-for-44) and homered four times. [55]

After the season, Heyward captured his first career defensive awards: an MLB Fielding Bible Award and a National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award. [56] [57] In 158 games, he batted .269 with career highs of 27 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. [55]

2013

On January 18, 2013, the Braves avoided salary arbitration with Heyward by signing him to a one-year, $3.65 million deal. The Braves' outfield also included newly acquired brothers Justin and B. J. Upton, [58] with whom Heyward would play for the remainder of his Braves tenure. An appendectomy on April 22 led to Heyward being placed on the 15-day disabled list. [59] He returned from the appendectomy on May 17, going 2-for-4 in an 8–5 win against the Dodgers. [59]

New York Mets pitcher Jon Niese hit Heyward in the face with a pitch on August 21, fracturing his jaw in two places. [60] He had surgery, which required the insertion of two plates, and returned on September 20. Heyward began wearing a protective shield attached to the right side of his batting helmet. [61] He struck out and walked in a 9–5 win against the Chicago Cubs. [62] Six days later, Heyward set career highs against Philadelphia with five hits and four extra-base hits. After two stints on the DL, Heyward appeared in 104 total games, batting .254 with 14 home runs, 38 RBI, and 67 runs scored. The Braves' record was 71–33 in the games in which he appeared. [59]

2014

Heyward running the bases in 2014 Heywardb2014.jpg
Heyward running the bases in 2014

The Braves bought out Heyward's last arbitration-eligible years on February 4, 2014, agreeing on a two-year, $13.3 million contract. [63] Already rated one of the top defensive outfielders in the league, Heyward significantly improved his coverage in right field during the early part of the season. [64] Two catches on balls hit by star Mike Trout – one on a sinking line drive and one on a ball Heyward leaped to catch at the warning track – helped ensure a 7–3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on June 15. [65]

Playing as the Braves' primary leadoff hitter, Heyward played in 149 games and finished with a .271 batting average, 74 runs scored, 11 home runs, 58 RBI and 20 stolen bases. [66] Heyward was the recipient of several awards, including his second of both the Rawlings NL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award for all MLB right fielders; he won the latter award unanimously. [67] Wilson Sporting Goods named him their MLB right field Defensive Player of the Year and their overall MLB Defensive Player of the Year. [68]

St. Louis Cardinals (2015)

On November 17, 2014, the Braves traded Heyward to the St. Louis Cardinals along with pitcher Jordan Walden for pitchers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins to replace their former right fielder and top prospect Oscar Taveras, who died in a car accident a month earlier. [69] Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, who wore uniform #22 and had also done so for most of his playing career, gave his number to Heyward; Heyward wears this number to honor his late friend and teammate Andrew Wilmot. [11]

Heyward batting for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 Jason Heyward on May 18, 2015.jpg
Heyward batting for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015

On April 5, 2015, five years to the day after his MLB debut, Heyward appeared in his first game as a Cardinal. He garnered three hits, including two doubles and a stolen base in a 3–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. [70] Heyward homered in three straight games from June 22 to 24. [71] [72] On July 18 against the Mets, he matched a career high with five hits in a 12–2 win. [73]

In an August 16 contest against the Marlins, Heyward hit two home runs for his first multi-home run game with the Cardinals. [74] In the second game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh on September 30, Heyward hit his second career grand slam in an 11–1 win, giving the Cardinals their 100th victory of the season while clinching their third consecutive National League Central division title. He also robbed both Francisco Cervelli and Michael Morse of hits in that game. [75] [76]

Heyward finished the season with a career-high .293 batting average, a .359 on-base percentage, and a .439 slugging percentage. [77] Among all outfielders since 2010, Heyward's 96.2 accumulated ultimate zone rating (UZR) led the major leagues. [78] The Cardinals lost the National League Division Series to the Chicago Cubs, three games to one. After becoming a free agent for the first time in his career, [79] Heyward won his third Fielding Bible Award [80] and his third Gold Glove. [81]

Chicago Cubs (2016–2022)

2016

Heyward batting for the Chicago Cubs in 2016 Jason Heyward on July 17, 2016 (2).jpg
Heyward batting for the Chicago Cubs in 2016

On December 15, 2015, Heyward signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs. [82] At the time of Heyward's signing, the contract was the largest player contract that had ever been signed by the Cubs. [83] During his tenure with the Cubs, Heyward's play did not reach the expectations created by his contract. [84] [85]

One of Heyward's first acts after signing his contract was to pay for hotel suites large enough to accommodate teammate David Ross, his wife, and their three young children on all of the Cubs' road trips during the 2016 season. Ross, set to retire after the 2016 season, had been Heyward's teammate during his first three seasons in Atlanta, and Heyward considered him a key mentor in his early MLB career. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Heyward said,

I know how special it is to have teammates like he was my first three years in Atlanta. You don't take it for granted. I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, as a teammate and as a friend, for what he's done for me. [86]

Heyward struggled in his first season with the Cubs in 2016, [87] batting only .230 with 7 home runs and 49 RBIs; [34] however, he did win his fourth Gold Glove that season. [88]

In Game Four of the 2016 National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants, with the Cubs holding a 2–1 series lead, Heyward reached on a bunt force out. He then moved to second on an errant throw and scored the go-ahead run on a Javier Baez single, sending the Cubs to the 2016 National League Championship Series. [89]

On October 25, 2016, Heyward, along with teammates Dexter Fowler, Addison Russell, and Carl Edwards Jr., became the first African-Americans to play for the Cubs in a World Series game. [90] Heyward was credited with leading an inspiring players-only meeting during a 17-minute rain delay near the end of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. [91] The Cubs eventually won the game 8–7 after 10 innings, which gave the franchise its first World Series championship in 108 years. [92] Heyward hit .104 during the 2016 playoffs. [85] On November 9, Heyward became the first position player in Major League Baseball history to win three straight Gold Glove Awards with three different teams (Braves, Cardinals, and Cubs). [93]

2017

On May 8, 2017, Heyward went on the 10-day disabled list due to a sprained finger he suffered in a game against the Yankees three days prior. [94] In late June, Heyward suffered a left-hand laceration while catching a foul ball in Pittsburgh and was unavailable to play in the next series of games. [95]

Heyward chose "J-Hey" as his nickname for the Players Weekend during the 2017 season. [96] For the season, Heyward hit .259 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs. [34]

2018

On May 8, 2018, Heyward again went on the disabled list due to concussion protocols after attempting a game-saving catch of a home run by William Fowler in the 14th inning. [97] On June 6, Heyward hit a walk-off grand slam home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Cubs a 7–5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. [98] At the All-Star break, Heyward had a .285 batting average with 78 hits in 274 plate appearances with six home runs and 41 RBIs, a .344 OBP and a .431 SLG. [99] Heyward ended the season with a .270 batting average, eight home runs, and 57 RBIs. [34]

2019

Heyward had a quality start to the season. He hit two home runs and stole two bases against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 6, becoming only the 18th player—and first Cub—to have a multi-homer, multi-steal game since 1901. [100] It was also his first multi-homer game as a Cub. On April 24, he hit a dramatic three-run home run late in the game to regain the lead in a 7–6 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On May 8, Heyward hit a walk-off, solo home run against the Miami Marlins in the 11th inning, giving the Cubs a 3–2 win. [101] This was Heyward's third walk-off hit and second walk-off home run as a Cub. With that hit, he snapped a 1-for-20 slump. [102] For the season, Heyward hit .251 with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs. [34]

2020

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Heyward batted .265/.392/.456 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 50 games. [103]

2021

In 2021, Heyward slashed .214/.280/.347 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs in 104 games. [34]

2022

On May 8, 2022, Heyward was placed on the injured list with a left quadriceps strain. He returned to the IL in late June. [104] [105] He remained on the injured list through August. In August, Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer stated that the team would release Heyward at the end of the season. [106] [107] In 48 games for the Cubs, Heyward batted .204/.278/.277 with one home run and 10 RBI. He was officially released by Chicago on November 14, 2022, [108] despite the fact that the Cubs still owed him a salary of $22 million for the 2023 season. [109] [87]

During his seven-year stint with the Cubs, Heyward batted .245, [110] hitting 62 home runs in 2,522 plate appearances. [111] In December 2022, The Sporting News included Heyward's eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs on its list of the top 15 worst MLB free-agent contracts of all time. [112]

Los Angeles Dodgers (20232024)

On December 8, 2022, Heyward signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers that included an invitation to major league spring training. [113] He made the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, [114] reworked his swing, [115] accepted a platoon role, [116] and enjoyed a resurgent season. [117] [118] Heyward played in 124 games, batting .269 with 15 homers and 40 RBI. [34] Following the season, Heyward received the Roy Campanella Award, an award that is given by Dodgers players and coaches to the most inspirational Dodger on the team. [115]

On December 6, 2023, Heyward signed a one-year, $9 million contract to return to the Dodgers. [119] In 63 games for them in 2024, he batted .208 with six home runs and 28 RBI. [34] He was designated for assignment on August 22, two days after he hit a pinch-hit go-ahead three-run home run in his final at-bat for the Dodgers. [120] [121] The Dodgers released him on August 26. [122]

Houston Astros

On August 29, 2024, Heyward signed a major league contract with the Houston Astros. [123] During his debut as an Astro, Heyward hit a key two-run double that spearheaded a 6–3 win versus the Kansas City Royals. [124]

On September 24, 2024, the Astros clinched their fourth straight American League (AL) West Division title with a 4–3 win over the Seattle Mariners. Heyward made a jumping catch into the scoreboard to take away a hit in the top of the fifth inning and hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to give the Astros a lead they would not relinquish. [125] As a member of the Astros, Heyward appeared in 24 games, batting .218/.283/.473 in 61 plate appearances, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, and 1 stolen base. He played 16 games in right field, 8 in left field, and 2 in center field. Heyward appeared in both games of, and was 0-for-3 in, the American League Wild Card Series (ALWCS), which was swept by the Detroit Tigers. [34] Following the season, he elected free agency. [126]

Awards

Jason Heyward
Jason Heyward on July 16, 2016 (1).jpg
Heyward with the Chicago Cubs in 2016
Free agent
Outfielder
Born: (1989-08-09) August 9, 1989 (age 35)
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
MLB debut
April 5, 2010, for the Atlanta Braves
Awards
Award/Honor# of TimesDatesRefs
Major Leagues
Baseball America Major League Rookie of the Year 12010 [36]
Fielding Bible Award at right field32012, 2014, 2015 [56] [67] [80]
Major League Baseball All-Star 1 2010 [29]
National League Player of the Week 1June 24, 2012 [127]
National League Rawlings Gold Glove at right field 52012, 2014, 2015, 2016. 2017 [56] [67] [81]
National League Rookie of the Month 2April & May 2010 [27] [28]
Sporting News National League Rookie of the Year 12010 [35]
Wilson MLB Defensive Player of the Year at right field12014 [128]
Wilson MLB Overall Defensive Player of the Year12014 [128]
Minor Leagues
Baseball America Atlanta Braves Organization Best Tools: Best Defensive OF12009 [129]
Baseball America Atlanta Braves Organization Best Tools: Best Hitter for Average22008–09 [129]
Baseball America Atlanta Braves Organization Best Tools: Best OF Arm12009 [129]
Baseball America Atlanta Braves Organization Best Tools: Best Power12007 [129]
Baseball America Atlanta Braves Organization Best Tools: Best Strike Zone Discipline32007–09 [129]
Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year 12009 [19]
Carolina League Player of the Week1May 18, 2009 [18]
Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game 12009 [18]
Minor League Baseball All-Star32008 South Atlantic League mid-season
2008 South Atlantic League post-season
2009 Carolina League
[17] [18]
South Atlantic League Most Outstanding Major League Prospect12008 [17]
USA Today Minor League Player of the Year 12009 [19]

Personal life

In September 2012, Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge, Georgia, selected Heyward as one of ten representatives for their Real Men Wear Pink campaign against breast cancer. He stated at the time that one of his grandmothers was battling the condition but had improved and that her battle was an inspiration for him to participate. [130]

Heyward's brother, Jacob, is a coach in the San Francisco Giants organization. [131] Jacob Heyward was drafted by the Atlanta Braves out of high school in the 2013 MLB Draft and by the Giants in the 2016 MLB Draft. [132] [133]

Heyward is married to Vedrana Heyward. [134] [135] Their son was born in March 2022. [136] They own a $5.9 million mansion in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. [137]

See also

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References

Footnote

  • a b Developed by the organization that awards The Fielding Bible, defensive runs saved (DRS) measures a player's total defensive plays made in terms of numbers of runs above or below what the average player at that position made. A calculation system computes the number of plays made league-wide at each position and a plus-minus total rating for each player compared to a league-average player. For example, if Heyward made a play that only 20% of right fielders would make, he was credited with .8 points – or, 1 point minus .20. If he failed to make a play that 75% of right fielders made, then .75 points were subtracted from his score. [138]

Source notes

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Preceded by Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year
2010
Succeeded by