Chicago Cubs could be even more lethal with productive Jason Heyward

Sitting in the stands at Miller Park Sunday, one thing stood out above all else watching the Chicago Cubs battle the Milwaukee Brewers. Jason Heyward was hitting the ball – hard.

In two of Jason Heyward’s at-bats in the Chicago Cubs’ win Sunday, I was talking to my wife in our seats down the right-field line. And, both times, I had the same reaction when I heard the ball leave the bat: who hit that?

Much has been made of the 27-year-old outfielder’s hot start. Which, admittedly, makes a lot of sense. Last year, Heyward put up the worst offensive numbers of his career. We spent all winter talking about his changed stance at the plate, only to see a poor performance against Cactus League pitching.

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But, as soon as the calendar turned over to the regular season, he’s looked like a completely different player at the plate. He looks like the guy who warranted a first-round pick from the Atlanta Braves back in 2007.

“I’m not thinking a whole lot,” Heyward told the Chicago Tribune Sunday “I’m just trying to focus on what the pitcher is trying to do, how they’re going to attack you and not thinking about the swing, just be where you need to be.”

Staying hungry, focused

The Chicago outfielder carries a five-game hitting streak into Monday night’s highly-anticipated home opener at Wrigley Field. And this hasn’t been one of those streaks where a player notches one hit per night for a week. Heyward is squaring up the ball with authority on a very regular basis.

Entering the home opener, Heyward is batting .333 with a .391 on-base percentage. With a hit in every game he’s appeared in this season, the pitfall at-hand is clear: fans expecting a .350 hitter moving forward.

That’s not going to happen.

Still, that’s not taking anything away from the left-handed-swinging outfielder, who holds a career .262 average over eight big-league seasons. He’s put in the time necessary to improve and, if the early returns are any indication, there will be a whole lot less frustration for the veteran in 2017.

“You’re not going to see results every night,” manager Joe Maddon warned. “Everybody wants to pour water into something and turn into what they want. It doesn’t work that way.

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Heyward has a great opportunity at-hand. He’s the clear-cut veteran leader in the outfield for the team. Mentoring guys like Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora, he sets the tone on a daily basis. But, as we’ve all heard, it’s easier to lead by example.

Jason Heyward brings a lot more than just offense to the table. His defense and base running abilities are unparalleled on this club. His leadership speaks for itself. But if he can bring his bat back and contribute, the Chicago Cubs may be unstoppable in 2017.