Coming into this evening, Jason Heyward was leading all players in walks (nine) along with car damaging home runs (two) during batting practice.
At 6'5" and 250 lbs, it is clear that Heyward would pack a great deal of power in his swing. What is not so clear, is that he has the ability to wait and his game plan at the plate is similar to that of a ten-year veteran's.
The talk of the mammoth blasts are just starting, but as a Braves blogger what you have to be most impressed with is his knack for letting pitches go.
Not many 20 year olds have the ability to wait for a pitch they like and drive it to any part of the field. Most younger players struggle with patience in their first few seasons and learn how to wait for a pitch as they progress in the major leagues.
Jason Heyward articles must be getting old for any non-Braves fan or scribe, but the one facet of Heyward's game that is landslides above others at his age is not his power, speed, or athleticism, it is his patience.
This is the main key to building the perfect baseball player. It is the attribute that Bonds, Ruth, Aaron, and Pujols all have shared while facing a pitcher, the ability to wait and let a pitch go that they cannot drive.
If you have your doubts about trusting a young player like Heyward it is completely understandable, but one thing you cannot doubt is that Heyward is mature past his years.
Consider this, the Braves last right fielder who wowed fans with powerful home runs and an incredible arm lacked one key skill at the plate and was eventually undone as a player and jettisoned to an inter-division rival.
Francoeur never had a game plan at the plate despite having more athletic skill than nearly every player on the field. This is what caused Jeff to be fooled by league average changeups and sliders, something you will not see a player with the patience of Heyward doing.
When this season is done, some may feel that Jason Heyward over or under-performed, but one thing you can count on are long at bats and a great approach—the best attributes that a 20 year old can have.
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