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Atlanta Braves' Jason Heyward Makes Memorable Debut on Opening Day

Some young baseball players that are hyped heading into the season do not make an immediate impact. Atlanta Braves rookie right-fielder, Jason Heyward, showed on Opening Day that he does not belong in that group with a magical debut against the Chicago Cubs .

He was phenomenal throughout the minor leagues and continued to put his array of talents on display in Spring Training. At 20-years old, he has the plate discipline and eye of a veteran. He can spray the ball to every part of the outfield, steal bases, and play a superb right-field.

He has it all.

Batting seventh against Cubs fiery right-hander Carlos Zambrano, he stepped to the plate in front of a sold-out Turner Field crowd. Shortstop Yunel Escobar had just tied the game at three with a single plating two runs. As Escobar strode off first and Brian McCann did the same off second, Heyward took a ball outside then another low.

Behind in the count and not wanting to fall behind 3-0 in fear of loading the bases, Zambrano tried to fire a fastball right by him.

Bad idea.

Heyward, with a smooth, compact swing, pummeled the offering 433 feet into the right field seats, sending his family into a crazed celebration and thrusting the arms of 53,079 others high into the air.

Expectations should be tempered, but it is difficult to do so with a talent such as Heyward. As he showed with his amazing three-run homer on his first swing, it may be ethical to expect the expected.

He received a big hug from longtime Brave Chipper Jones, who is 17 years his senior, and then congratulations from every teammate. He couldn’t have dreamt up a better start to his career.

Zambrano exited having allowed eight runs. Long after he was gone, in the third inning, Heyward was robbed of his second hit, lining a rope into the glove of Chicago first baseman Derek Lee.

But then in the seventh, with the score 11-5 in Atlanta’s favor, Heyward was helped by Lee, as a throwing error resulted in him standing on second and a run scoring. This botched play by Lee and Heyward’s awareness to speed into second allowed two more runs to score.

He capped his amazing debut an inning later by ripping a Justin Berg fastball into center-field, the same pitch he had just barely got under. Brooks Conrad scored, giving Heyward four RBI and a blistering .400 batting average after the first day.

What a day it was for him!

A blast on his first swing, a hug from Chipper, high fives from the rest, a curtain call, and two more productive, run-scoring at-bats. I think it's safe to expect more of the same from Jason Heyward.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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