Jason Heyward

[KB21]

I hope the Braves can resist the temptation to bring Jason up too early, but he's killing the ball at AA Mississippi so far. There's really been no adjustment period for him. He started off hitting and has continued hitting at this level.

Right now, Jason is hitting .417/.507/.733 with half of his hits being extra base hits. He shows his plate discipline with 11 walks and only 4 strike outs in 60 official at bats. Baseball America has him as the top prospect in baseball. The #2 guy is Florida's Mike Stanton, who is also at AA. However, Mike Stanton had an adjustment period and is a strike out machine. There's an article on the net somewhere that compares the two players, and it gives Jason Heyward a slight advantage. IMO, the advantage is more than slight.

[Eddielives]

I hope the Braves can resist the temptation to bring Jason up too early, but he's killing the ball at AA Mississippi so far. There's really been no adjustment period for him. He started off hitting and has continued hitting at this level.

Right now, Jason is hitting .417/.507/.733 with half of his hits being extra base hits. He shows his plate discipline with 11 walks and only 4 strike outs in 60 official at bats. Baseball America has him as the top prospect in baseball. The #2 guy is Florida's Mike Stanton, who is also at AA. However, Mike Stanton had an adjustment period and is a strike out machine. There's an article on the net somewhere that compares the two players, and it gives Jason Heyward a slight advantage. IMO, the advantage is more than slight.

I agree they should wait. Still I hope to see him maybe sometime next year if he keeps progressing like he is.

[KB21]

I agree they should wait. Still I hope to see him maybe sometime next year if he keeps progressing like he is.

I'd like to see him get around 150 at bats at Mississippi before bringing him up.

[Yubs]

I hope the Braves can resist the temptation to bring Jason up too early, but he's killing the ball at AA Mississippi so far. There's really been no adjustment period for him. He started off hitting and has continued hitting at this level.

Right now, Jason is hitting .417/.507/.733 with half of his hits being extra base hits. He shows his plate discipline with 11 walks and only 4 strike outs in 60 official at bats. Baseball America has him as the top prospect in baseball. The #2 guy is Florida's Mike Stanton, who is also at AA. However, Mike Stanton had an adjustment period and is a strike out machine. There's an article on the net somewhere that compares the two players, and it gives Jason Heyward a slight advantage. IMO, the advantage is more than slight.

The link to the article is here: Heyward VS Stanton . Very in-depth and well-written. Even has animated gifs of their swing progressions/adjustments.

[CBAreject]

I hope the Braves can resist the temptation to bring Jason up too early, but he's killing the ball at AA Mississippi so far. There's really been no adjustment period for him. He started off hitting and has continued hitting at this level.

Right now, Jason is hitting .417/.507/.733 with half of his hits being extra base hits. He shows his plate discipline with 11 walks and only 4 strike outs in 60 official at bats. Baseball America has him as the top prospect in baseball. The #2 guy is Florida's Mike Stanton, who is also at AA. However, Mike Stanton had an adjustment period and is a strike out machine. There's an article on the net somewhere that compares the two players, and it gives Jason Heyward a slight advantage. IMO, the advantage is more than slight.

I almost always agree with KB on baseball, but this time I might slightly disagree. I think rushing players is almost always a mistake for one reason: patience is something that must be beaten into a hitter in his teens and early 20's, but Jason Heyward is a guy who naturally has that patience. The Braves made big mistakes rushing Furcal, Francouer, and Andruw Jones and the result was hackers who didn't flourish in the bigs due to chasing bad pitches (granted Jones had a good career, but he could've been so much better). While I still don't want Heyward rushed, there's really no reason not to promote him to AAA after 30 games at AA. If he kills AAA, why not give him a shot to make our postseason roster if we're in playoff position? Honestly, Heyward isn't being challenged, and I don't see what he's going to learn by mashing AA pitching for 300 AB's. Put him in AAA. If he's posting a 1.100 OPS there, my god, let's put in in the bigs. Every now and then you have a freak who just isn't challenged anymore, and you go ahead and find him a spot where he is challenged. Francouer was hitting .275 and striking out to much when we promoted him straight from AA. That was a mistake. This is a different case altogether.

BTW, I can hardly contain my excitement that we finally have a superstar quality position player in the wings. It's been 10 years (Furcal). I was telling my friend in the spring that the Braves have a Griffey-esque outfielder at single-A, and he laughed. We'll see.

[DrReality]

Looking at the history they have seldom done this, could be wrong but they've brought along talent slowly. But at this point they don't have as much reserve to wait.

[KB21]

Jason Heyward was 2 for 4 with a double tonight. This guy has twice as many doubles as strike outs at the AA level. He's hit 10 doubles and has struck out 5 times in around 64 at bats.

[Eddielives]

Jason Heyward was 2 for 4 with a double tonight. This guy has twice as many doubles as strike outs at the AA level. He's hit 10 doubles and has struck out 5 times in around 64 at bats.

I love it he's from my neck of the woods too. McDonough's own Jason Heyward.

[KB21]

I'm going to Pearl to watch the MBraves play on August the 28th. I'm hoping that Jason will still be there at that time. It would be a good preview of a couple of future Atlanta Braves in Jason Heyward and first baseman Freddie Freeman.

[AHF]

I am probably not alone in my intent to draft him next year in my keeper league. Fantastic prospect and exciting hometown hero to be!

[Dakin]

LOL at the ludicrous suggestion that the Braves "rushed" Andruw Jones. They guy had a HOF caliber career as a Brave and has been terrible since creeping towards middle age. If anything Andruw is the poster child for "rushing" prospects through the minor leagues. Le the athletes perform at the highest level while they're at their most athletic.

I almost always agree with KB on baseball, but this time I might slightly disagree. I think rushing players is almost always a mistake for one reason: patience is something that must be beaten into a hitter in his teens and early 20's, but Jason Heyward is a guy who naturally has that patience. The Braves made big mistakes rushing Furcal, Francouer, and Andruw Jones and the result was hackers who didn't flourish in the bigs due to chasing bad pitches (granted Jones had a good career, but he could've been so much better). While I still don't want Heyward rushed, there's really no reason not to promote him to AAA after 30 games at AA. If he kills AAA, why not give him a shot to make our postseason roster if we're in playoff position? Honestly, Heyward isn't being challenged, and I don't see what he's going to learn by mashing AA pitching for 300 AB's. Put him in AAA. If he's posting a 1.100 OPS there, my god, let's put in in the bigs. Every now and then you have a freak who just isn't challenged anymore, and you go ahead and find him a spot where he is challenged. Francouer was hitting .275 and striking out to much when we promoted him straight from AA. That was a mistake. This is a different case altogether.

BTW, I can hardly contain my excitement that we finally have a superstar quality position player in the wings. It's been 10 years (Furcal). I was telling my friend in the spring that the Braves have a Griffey-esque outfielder at single-A, and he laughed. We'll see.

[CBAreject]

LOL at the ludicrous suggestion that the Braves "rushed" Andruw Jones. They guy had a HOF caliber career as a Brave and has been terrible since creeping towards middle age. If anything Andruw is the poster child for "rushing" prospects through the minor leagues. Le the athletes perform at the highest level while they're at their most athletic.

Fantastic analysis, what with the "LOL" and the "ludicrious". You really shot my argument to bits, didn't you? Now, quickly tell me why Andruw Jones will last past the first vote when he's eligible for the hall. He won't. No player with similar stats (.258 hitter, .820 OPS) has ever made the hall, much less in the juiced era. Jones never learned the patience that it would take to make him a great hitter. His defense was excellent for 10 years, but that won't get him into the Hall (and it is hotly debated whether his defense was even above average past age 27...most analysts think he won his last 3 or 4 gold gloves on reputation). I would've gladly seen him forego his .230-23 HR "rookie" season to get more seasoning and learn to be an effective hitter. Jones had by my count 3 "good" offensive seasons in all that "HOF caliber" time as a Brave. Just not good enough for a player with his natural gifts.

Besides, even if one of my 3 examples was flawed, you miss my point. Patience is the key to MLB stardom, and rushing players hurts them most in that category. Francouer is a PRIME example. This wasn't an indictment of Andruw Jones but a caveat on rushing players. If you really believe that Andruw Jones ever displayed maturity as a MLB hitter, you are in the severe minority of fans on this forum and baseball analysts nation-wide. LOL at you sir. LOL indeed.

BTW, feel free to reply with copious emoticons and chatcronyms. People respect that far more than statistics and logic.

[Dakin]

Wow. First of all, t's hard to respond to someone who is obviously so much smarter and more well spoken than I am.

Congratulations on being supremely condescending. Back to reality: So, keeping Andruw in the minor leagues would have made him a better player?? I guess you're one of the people who bought into the "Andruw Jones is the next Clemente, Aaron, Mays, etc." hype. Ha.

Yea, I'm in the minority. Ha. All the mock LOLz in the world won't make your position any less "ludicrous", no matter how desperately you try to defend it. You can nit-pick Jones' fine career all you want and fantasize about what might have been - had Andruw just had that one more year in the minor leagues, the one extra year that would have finally made him into the patient hitter, the Clemente/Aaron he was destined to become - but you're being pretty ridiculous. Nevermind Jones' 96 World Series heroics, without him we might not win the division in 97-99. Also, Please don't compare Andruw Jones to Francouer. Only someone not old enough to remember Andruw Jones' early years would do something as silly as that, and - despite your childish condescension - I don't think you're that young. That is all....Oh, and get over yourself.

Fantastic analysis, what with the "LOL" and the "ludicrious". You really shot my argument to bits, didn't you? Now, quickly tell me why Andruw Jones will last past the first vote when he's eligible for the hall. He won't. No player with similar stats (.258 hitter, .820 OPS) has ever made the hall, much less in the juiced era. Jones never learned the patience that it would take to make him a great hitter. His defense was excellent for 10 years, but that won't get him into the Hall (and it is hotly debated whether his defense was even above average past age 27...most analysts think he won his last 3 or 4 gold gloves on reputation). I would've gladly seen him forego his .230-23 HR "rookie" season to get more seasoning and learn to be an effective hitter. Jones had by my count 3 "good" offensive seasons in all that "HOF caliber" time as a Brave. Just not good enough for a player with his natural gifts.

Besides, even if one of my 3 examples was flawed, you miss my point. Patience is the key to MLB stardom, and rushing players hurts them most in that category. Francouer is a PRIME example. This wasn't an indictment of Andruw Jones but a caveat on rushing players. If you really believe that Andruw Jones ever displayed maturity as a MLB hitter, you are in the severe minority of fans on this forum and baseball analysts nation-wide. LOL at you sir. LOL indeed.

BTW, feel free to reply with copious emoticons and chatcronyms. People respect that far more than statistics and logic.

Edited July 27, 2009 by Dakin

[frosgrim]

I agree that if Heyward keeps smoking AA pitching he should be promoted to Gwinnett. I don't think he should be thrust into the Majors anytime earlier than September, however. Why play with Heyward's development in an attempt to make the wildcard? Let him then compete for the starting LF or RF position in spring 2010.

The 2010 Braves could be a very (NL winning) good club.

McClouth (LF or RF) or Schaefer (CF)

Prado (2nd)

Chipper (3rd)

McCann ©

Heyward (RF or LF)

Escobar (SS)

Kotchman (1b) OR trade Vazquez for a power hitting 1B - Blaylock from the Rangers?

Schaefer or McClouth

P

Rotation:

Lowe

JJ

Hanson

Hudson

Medlin or Kawakami

[coachx]

I agree that if Heyward keeps smoking AA pitching he should be promoted to Gwinnett. I don't think he should be thrust into the Majors anytime earlier than September, however. Why play with Heyward's development in an attempt to make the wildcard? Let him then compete for the starting LF or RF position in spring 2010.

The 2010 Braves could be a very (NL winning) good club.

McClouth (LF or RF) or Schaefer (CF)

Prado (2nd)

Chipper (3rd)

McCann ©

Heyward (RF or LF)

Escobar (SS)

Kotchman (1b) OR trade Vazquez for a power hitting 1B - Blaylock from the Rangers?

Schaefer or McClouth

P

Rotation:

Lowe

JJ

Hanson

Hudson

Medlin or Kawakami

We are looking solid for 2010 for sure !

I still have faith we can make the wild card and once your in the playoffs anything can happen. Just 3.5 games back ! Big series vs. the Marlins starting tomorrow (who we are tied with in the standings.)

If we make the playoffs it will be interesting to see if we go with a 3 or 4 man rotation. It is hard to leave one of these guys off (Lowe, Hanson, JJ, Vasquez). Both Lowe and Vasquez have significant post season expierence but JJ and Hanson are probably pitching a notch better right now.

Kawakami has been steady but I think the Braves are dissapointed in him.

[APE]

OR trade Vazquez for a power hitting

I don't want to trade Vazquez plus what do we do with Barbaro Canizares?

[KB21]

I don't want to trade Vazquez plus what do we do with Barbaro Canizares?

Barbaro is a good hitter, but unfortunately, he cannot play any position in the national league because of his defense. He's a brick wall at first base and does not have the athleticism to play anywhere else on the diamond. He's a DH and would be better off in the AL than in the NL.

Also, I would like to clarify what Andruw's problems were as a hitter. I don't think it was so much patience at the plate as it was pitch recognition or just plain stubborness. Andruw has always been able to draw walks as a hitter. His biggest problem wa that he CONSTANTLY tried to pull that ouside pitch, and he was a sucker for the slider on the outside and off the plate. He pulled off that pitch numerous times, and he has a ton of strike outs because of that. His contact rate was very poor as a result. No matter how many coaches told him to lay off that pitch or to hit the ball where it was pitched, Andruw would continue to try and pull that outside pitch. It's like Josh Smith and his three pointers. No matter how bad he is at it, he doesn't stop. He continues shooting them.

I agree with CBA in that Andruw should have been a much better hitter than what he became. He has gone through Clarence Jones, Merv Rettenmund, Don Baylor, Terry Pendleton, and Rudy Jaramillo and still has not realized his fatal flaw as a hitter. The difference between Andruw and Jeff Francoeur IMO is that I think Andruw knows what he is doing wrong and refuses to stop what he is doing whereas Jeff cannot feel is flaw in his approach. If you can't feel it, you can't correct it.

[CBAreject]

Wow. First of all, t's hard to respond to someone who is obviously so much smarter and more well spoken than I am.

Congratulations on being supremely condescending. Back to reality: So, keeping Andruw in the minor leagues would have made him a better player?? I guess you're one of the people who bought into the "Andruw Jones is the next Clemente, Aaron, Mays, etc." hype. Ha.

Yea, I'm in the minority. Ha. All the mock LOLz in the world won't make your position any less "ludicrous", no matter how desperately you try to defend it. You can nit-pick Jones' fine career all you want and fantasize about what might have been - had Andruw just had that one more year in the minor leagues, the one extra year that would have finally made him into the patient hitter, the Clemente/Aaron he was destined to become - but you're being pretty ridiculous. Nevermind Jones' 96 World Series heroics, without him we might not win the division in 97-99. Also, Please don't compare Andruw Jones to Francouer. Only someone not old enough to remember Andruw Jones' early years would do something as silly as that, and - despite your childish condescension - I don't think you're that young. That is all....Oh, and get over yourself.

OK, so you're going to respond to my original post with "LOL" and "ludicrous" and when I rebut, you're going to criticize MY tact (and even call it childish)? Nice hypocrisy.

Aside from that, your counter argument here is to ASSUME that I "must have thought" something about what Jones was going to be, thereby setting up a pathetic straw man that you would then proceed to attack, going so far as to say "you're being pretty ridiculous". Incredible.

Then you resort to "please don't compare Jones to Francouer" as if saying 2 people have a similar flaw means I think they're similar players. Asinine.

Derek Jeter and Rafael Belliard both play good defense. There. How dumb am I to think those guys should be compared? Oh what an imbecile I am.

[frosgrim]

I don't want to trade Vazquez plus what do we do with Barbaro Canizares?

I like Vazquez very much, but he's the most tradable of our pitching assests. You can't trade Lowe to the Rangers due to salary (the Rangers are getting a bail out by MLB due to Tom Hick's finances). Kawakami isn't going to bring more than a Matt Diaz type player (if that). Hudson isn't tradable due to the injury. And, you don't trade Hason or JJ for anything.

Second, the Braves have to add more power at 1b. Blalock is a pure power hitter. He's had some injury issues, but when healthy the dude can pound the ball. The Rangers can be a very good team, but the need mroe pitching. Hence, this seems like a natural trade.

There may be others, but I can't see them right now: the Braves getting a power hitting first baseman that won't cost a ton of money and can be had for one of the extra starting pitchers.

See KB21's post for a great explination of Canizares.

[AHF]

Texas also has two excellent 1B prospects in Chris Davis and Justin Smoak if the Braves want to go younger and cheaper.