If there is one member of the 2010 rookie class that seems destined for stardom, it's Atlanta Braves rookie right fielder, Jason Heyward. In fact, stardom may be setting the bar too low for the ultra-talented 20-year-old Georgian.
Heyward will be given every opportunity to become the every day starter for the Braves this spring. The team made their intentions known when they traded former hometown hero, Jeff Francoeur in July, and let Garret Anderson depart in free agency this winter.
Expectations are quite high for a player that has played only three career games above the Double-A level, but Heyward has proven himself to be as close to a can't-miss prospect as there is in baseball.
The Braves selected Heyward with their first pick in the 2007 draft. He paid immediate dividends and began his meteoric rise to his current status as one of the top prospects in the game.
After playing only 12 games in 2007, he found great success Class A Rome in 2008. In 120 games, Heyward hit .323 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI, while stealing 15 bases.
Though various injuries limited him to just 99 games last year, he continued to swing a great bat all while being a great defensive outfielder with an above average arm.
In total, Heyward has hit .318 with 29 home runs, 125 RBI, and 26 stolen bases in only 238 career games.
Perhaps his most impressive trait is the patience he shows at the plate for a player that won't turn 21 until this coming August. He has walked 105 times and only struck out 138 times, an outstanding accomplishment for a player at any level.
Some critics question his ability to be a legitimate power hitter, but he has plenty of time to grow into his frame and become an elite-level slugger. He's already shown very good gap-to-gap power, so it only stands to reason that in a few years most of those doubles could easily turn into home runs.
The only thing that can seemingly hold Heyward back at this point is his own body. At different times over the past few years, he has missed time due to injuries to his oblique and hip, a jammed heel, a strained hamstring, and back inflammation.
It's always very dangerous to put expectations on such a young player, but Heyward has already drawn comparisons to both Fred McGriff and Ken Griffey Jr. Those may seem like lofty comparisons but if one has seen him play, they would seem quite justified.
The Braves could very well start Heyward off at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, but even if that is the case, it won't be long before he is an every day player in Atlanta.
Braves' fans have become accustomed to the success of their homegrown players. Heyward is only the latest in a long line of names, but he could very well be the best.
So how good can Heyward turn out to be? To some, it will sound obscene to call him a future member of the Hall of Fame. Only time and his body of work will tell the true tale, but if one wants to look like a smart baseball mind, they should start telling their friends now about the greatness of Jason Heyward.
To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.
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