Jason Heyward

[TheDean176]

is good.

[txlonghorn47]

Gagree

[Bucharest]

[RotoDork]Drafted him with my $15 pick in the Ultra Rounds in my Roto League two years ago.....this year it finally starts paying off!!!![/RotoDork]

[AtlLonghorn]

I've tried the best I can to temper my enthusiasm about him, but yesterday Jim Leyland said the only other player with his size, strength and plate discipline at that age he's seen was Pujols and that pretty much ended my tempered enthusiasm for him. Anything less than 500 homers, 3,000 hits and 15 consecutive all star appearances all for the Braves will be a major failure. I'm think I'm kidding...

[TheDean176]

I too, have really tried to hold back my excitement for a couple of years now on Heyward, especially following the Failcouer Era, but I really feel this Heyward kid is going to be REALLY REALLY SPECIAL.

The Nats can have Strasburg and Bryce Harper...I'll go to battle with Tommy Hanson and Jason Heyward.



Side note...THANK GOD the Braves didn't include Hanson or Heyward in the Texiera deal.

[TheDean176]

Look out baseball world, Jason Heyward will officially start the season with the Atlanta Braves....

[AtlLonghorn]

OH MY FUCKING GOD

[Bucharest]

Wow....makes me wish I was a Braves fan for the first time ever. That being said, I get to enjoy this too as I just extended him two years in my ROTO League, which was widely laughed at this morning throughout the league due to the fact that he's never had one Major League AB, and I now have to keep him at an inflated value for the next three seasons......who's laughing now?

[BarryBnds]

Reminds me of all the hype that surrounded Andruw Jones coming up. Then Franceaur.

[AtlLonghorn]

Reminds me of all the hype that surrounded Andruw Jones coming up. Then Franceaur.

Boy that post was way off the mark, but then again considering who it's coming from that's not really a surprise.

[BarryBnds]

Reminds me of all the hype that surrounded Andruw Jones coming up. Then Franceaur.

Boy that post was way off the mark, but then again considering who it's coming from that's not really a surprise.

Not sure why it was off the mark. Please explain why the hype around Heyward is different. I remember Jones getting compared to Mantle at 19. And Francouer being dubbed "The Natural".

[AtlLonghorn]

Nobody ever confused the potential those guys had with the potential Heyward has. Jones never came close at any age to having the maturity or plate discipline that Heyward has at the age of 20. Andruw was a freakish defensive player who at his peak was among the two or three best defensive Centerfielders of all time and had a ton of power at the plate. Heyward has more power probably at this age, more plate discipline, they have similar speed and Heyward isn't as good a defender, but he's plenty good. Heyward is a better prospect than Andruw was and Andruw never reached his potential because he had million dollar ability, but a ten cent head.

Francoeur was never that big of a prospect, compared to the other two. He was expected to be a very good player at this level, but the reason his lore took off was because A) he was a local legend who won multiple state titles in Georgia in Football and Baseball and B) Because he was much better faster than anyone ever thought he would be.

By all accounts Heyward is a special player not just because of his ability, but in the way he carries himself. His demeanor is a lot like Kevin Durant's I'd say. Both are quiet by nature, but incredibly motivated to be great and have tremendous confidence in their ability.

[BarryBnds]

Nobody ever confused the potential those guys had with the potential Heyward has. Jones never came close at any age to having the maturity or plate discipline that Heyward has at the age of 20. Andruw was a freakish defensive player who at his peak was among the two or three best defensive Centerfielders of all time and had a ton of power at the plate. Heyward has more power probably at this age, more plate discipline, they have similar speed and Heyward isn't as good a defender, but he's plenty good. Heyward is a better prospect than Andruw was and Andruw never reached his potential because he had million dollar ability, but a ten cent head.

Francoeur was never that big of a prospect, compared to the other two. He was expected to be a very good player at this level, but the reason his lore took off was because A) he was a local legend who won multiple state titles in Georgia in Football and Baseball and B) Because he was much better faster than anyone ever thought he would be.

By all accounts Heyward is a special player not just because of his ability, but in the way he carries himself. His demeanor is a lot like Kevin Durant's I'd say. Both are quiet by nature, but incredibly motivated to be great and have tremendous confidence in their ability.

In case you forgot the thoughts on both concerning the MFing HOF:

AtlLonghorn-"Possibly could get in- Andruw Jones. Widely regarded amongst baseball people as the best defensive outfielder in baseball, if he can get to 500 homeruns and 2500 hits which at his current average per season would take 7 seasons each (He's 29 so it's a possibility), I could see him getting serious consideration based alot on his defensive ability."

Dean176-"On his way: Jeff Francoeur. He will eventually become alot more complete hitter. Dale Murphy type. Offensive and defensive."

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=9751&hilit=hof

[AtlLonghorn]

Well what fans think of players MUST make it true:roll:. And in 2006 my point about Andruw Jones was a completely valid one. He was coming off a season where he willed the Braves to the playoffs and hit 50 home runs. At that point in his career he was good for 35 homers and 100 RBI every year just about and was the elite defender of his generation at the position. What happened after that? Well, he slowed down defensively due to wear and tear and decided to stop listening to his coaches and do what he wanted at the plate and declined rapidly. Again, coachability and motivation don't seem to be in the picture at all for Heyward.

The whole point of this is that BASEBALL people think that he is a special player. More special than Jones or Francoeur ever would be.

[HornMafia]

I think if you asked any minor leaguer today that they could have Andruw Jones's career (and $102 million earned), they'd take it in a heartbeat.

[BarryBnds]

Well what fans think of players MUST make it true:roll:. And in 2006 my point about Andruw Jones was a completely valid one. He was coming off a season where he willed the Braves to the playoffs and hit 50 home runs. At that point in his career he was good for 35 homers and 100 RBI every year just about and was the elite defender of his generation at the position. What happened after that? Well, he slowed down defensively due to wear and tear and decided to stop listening to his coaches and do what he wanted at the plate and declined rapidly. Again, coachability and motivation don't seem to be in the picture at all for Heyward.

The whole point of this is that BASEBALL people think that he is a special player. More special than Jones or Francoeur ever would be.

Andruw Jones was the Player of the Year by Baseball America two years in a row. Not sure how you could be considered more special than that.

[BarryBnds]

I think if you asked any minor leaguer today that they could have Andruw Jones's career (and $102 million earned), they'd take it in a heartbeat.

I wasn't saying that Jones wasn't a good player. I said the hype reminds me of the hype surrounding Jones' career in the beginning. Apparently I was "way of the mark".

[Bucharest]

God I hate to agree with you on this....or at least in part, but Jones was every bit as hyped...Francouer not so much.

I could be wrong, but I believe Jones was Baseball America's "Top Prospect" for two years straight.....that being said, Matt's right....if Heyward has that type of career, then I think the Braves and Heyward will both be ecstatic. His career ended rather abruptly, but as a GM, you'll take 33 homers asnd 100 RBI all day. Heyward definitely has the potential to be better, but he also has the potential to not be better, we'll see.....but I agree, Jones was the next "pick your own random Hall of Famer" back in the late 90's before he hit the Majors.

[HornMafia]

This doesn't have much to do with the topic, but check out the Top Prospects going back to 1990:

1990: Steve Avery
1991: Todd Van Poppel
1992: Brien Taylor
1993: Chipper Jones
1994: Cliff Floyd
1995: Alex Rodriguez
1996: Andruw Jones
1997: Andruw Jones
1998: Ben Grieve
1999: JD Drew
2000: Rick Ankiel
2001: Josh Hamilton
2002: Josh Beckett
2003: Mark Teixeira
2004: Joe Mauer
2005: Joe Mauer
2006: Delmon Young
2007: Daisuke Matsuzaka
2008: Jay Bruce
2009: Matt Wieters
2010: Jason Heyward

Too early to say on the younger guys, obviously, but who among that group will be in the HOF? Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez, maybe Teixeira, maybe Mauer? Wow.

[AtlLonghorn]

I HAVE WOOD.

[TheDean176]

I'm finally making my first trip to see a Braves game in Atlanta in July. Got my tickets in the mail Friday. First series after Jason Heyward makes his first All-Star appearance.

[TheDean176]

So...that was a pretty good game.