Jason Heyward and 4 MLB Stars Who Will Implode This Season

The year was 2010 and former Braves manager Bobby Cox was sitting at the top of the dugout in spring training watching the new, young kids get off the bus and roll into camp. Jason Heyward was one of those players, and he sure turned some heads very quickly in the Atlanta organization.

However, Heyward struggled last season mightily after suffering an injury in mid-summer, and I predict that he will have another tough year at the major league level. At 22, he's still extremely young and has a great deal to learn. This just will not be his season to succeed; it'll be more of a learning experience.

I've put together a list of five of the MLB stars who will really struggle to find the success they've found in the careers before, or success that hasn't even hit them yet, in the case of Heyward of course.

Check out the list and let me know what you think.

1. RF Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves

A couple of seasons ago, word around the Atlanta clubhouse was that power-slugger Jason Heyward was the next huge superstar for the Braves, but so far, his superstardom has not panned out.

Heyward debuted for the Braves at the beginning of the 2010 season, and finished third in his first season in the major leagues in the Rookie of the Year award balloting. He laced up for 142 games in ’10, he smashed 18 home runs in his rookie season, drove in 72 RBI and batted at a .277 clip.

However, last season was another story for the ailing Brave. In his sophomore year, Heyward appeared in just 128 games due to a shoulder injury, while he batted at a lowly .227 clip with only 14 home runs and 42 RBI.

Heyward was once dubbed as possibly the next Ted Williams, after showing a great deal of promise throughout the minors and in his first year at the major league level. Since his injury and return, however, he doesn’t look like himself, and his numbers have quite obviously dropped.

He jumped off to a somewhat hot start this season as he’s 12-for-his-first-37 (.375 average), but he’s only jolted two home runs, and even more surprising, he’s only driven in five RBI over his first 10 games of the year.

So, yes, he’s started off collecting his base hits, but his power and production numbers were down last year, and so far, they’re down this year. Of course, it’s too early to tell for sure how he’ll finish the remainder of the year, and his career for that matter, but it seems as if he’s free falling and he cannot stop himself.

2. Infielder Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

This name on my list might surprise you: Kevin Youkilis. He’s been a mainstay in Boston over the last nine years, and he’s been a part of both of the World Series rings the Red Sox won in the 2000s. He was definitely a major factor in those championships for the Sox.

However, amid the recent controversy between Youkilis and the new Boston manager, Bobby Valentine, it seems as if he’s slowing down and his production is dropping off. I feel like this season will be an off year for him, especially with their new manager.

Valentine is the type of manager who will call out a player in front of everyone, and he did that a couple days ago with Youkilis. The former Mets manager referenced that he seemed emotionless towards the game, and was not ready physically to play. If Valentine continues with these types of comments, it could spell a long year for him and the rest of the guys.

Over the last couple of seasons, Youkilis’ numbers have been dropping slowly. In 2010, although he was able to hit above the .300 mark, he only racked up 19 home runs and 62 RBI on the campaign. We’re used to seeing at least 25 home runs and around 100 RBI.

Last year, he finished with just 17 bombs, 80 RBI and a career-low .258 average. We’ve been accustomed to seeing him hit around .300 for most of his career, and this is the strongest piece of evidence that indicates his downfall.

Obviously this season has not started off on the right foot for the Red Sox and their new-look management team. Youkilis is only batting .176 through his first eight games, and his power numbers are lacking. He’s failed to connect for a home run this year, and only has three RBI.

I’m not sure what is going on with Youkilis, but he’s one of the more productive and reliable players on the Red Sox. If they are going to make any sort of run at the playoffs this season, they’ll definitely need him to anchor them in the right direction.

3. RHP Freddy Garcia, New York Yankees

The 35-year-old right-handed hurler out of the Venezuela, Freddy Garcia, has been around the block once or twice. He’s been in the majors since the age of 21, and has played for five teams, all of which were in the American League except for those pesky Phillies.

Garcia has definitely enjoyed success over his career as he sits with a 145-96 career record with a respectable 4.11 ERA. He broke out with the Seattle Mariners in 1999 and won 17 games in his first season, earning him a second-place nomination for the Rookie of the Year Award. He’s won 17 games two separate times in his career and 18 games one time.                                      

In his first season with the Yanks, he went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA. The year before with the White Sox, he also won 12 games in a kind of comeback role after struggling in the previous years. From 2007-2009, Garcia only made 23 starts due to various injuries, and it looked as if he wasn’t going to return at all after the ’09 season.

This season, so far at least, Garcia has had a tough time finding his groove. Over his first two outings, he’s tossed 10.1 innings, surrendered eight earned runs on 13 base hits including two home runs and five wild pitches. In his last outing, he surrendered five earned runs against one of the lowest-hitting teams in the majors, the Minnesota Twins.

Now, those don’t sound like numbers that a 17-game winner would post. I think he’s almost hit the end of the road. I feel like this is going to be a tough season for the veteran right-handed pitcher.

The Yankees have depth in their starting rotation and can always move him into the bullpen if he becomes too erratic as a starter.

4. Outfielder/3B Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves

What can you say about Chipper Jones? He’s been one of the best switch-hitters in recent memory. He’s made a living by feeding off of the Mets and the Queens fans who love him. He’s been a Brave for 19 years, and this will be his last season.

Well, I’ve been a Chipper fan since I started watching baseball, but I think enough is enough. He’s done. There’s nothing else he needs to prove at the major league level. He’s done it all. He won an MVP award, multiple All-Star selections, a batting title, plus he led the Braves to 14 straight National League East titles and, of course, one World Series ring.

With that said, I think he was done before he even entered training camp this spring. He just looks physically tired and exhausted. At 39, Jones will turn 40 this summer and retire after 20 seasons with the Braves.

He’s smashed 456 home runs in his career, which places him first in the NL for most-ever by a switch-hitter. He sits at No. 2 in MLB history behind Mickey Mantle, who compiled 536 in his career. Not to mention, he’s driven in over 1,500 RBI and is a .304 lifetime hitter.

So, I just don’t understand why he chose to come back for one more season. His power numbers and average have been declining over the last five seasons or so. In 2010, he finished hitting at a .265 clip with 10 home runs, 46 RBI, but only appeared in 95 games due to various lingering injuries.

Last season, he smashed 18 home runs and 70 RBI while he hit at a .275 clip. Yes, he can still hit with the major league players, but I just don’t see him doing well this season. I predict that he doesn’t even finish the year with the Braves, and he’ll implode half way through the season.

5. 1B Derrek Lee, Pittsburgh Pirates

The 36-year-old former Padre/Brave/Oriole/Cub/Marlin, Derrek Lee, has been around the league for a number of years and now calls the Steel City his home. Although he performed well and turned some heads after coming over at the trade deadline last season, I think this could be one of his last seasons in the majors.

Over his 28 games with the Pirates, he hit at a .337 clip with seven home runs and 18 RBI. In his previous 85 contests with the Orioles, he batted just .245 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI. Obviously, his production was much higher with the Pirates in a short amount of time.

However, over the last two seasons, his numbers have steadily been declining. In 2010, he finished with 19 home runs, 80 RBI and just a .260 average. One of the memorable aspects of his game, besides his superb defensive abilities, is his batting eye; he used to hit for a high average.

Last season, with the Orioles and Pirates, he finished hitting just .267 on the year with 19 combined home runs and just 58 RBI the entire season! This coming from a guy who has hit 30 or more home runs three times in his career, a two-time All-Star and a someone who hit .335 in ’05 for the Cubs in his heyday.

Lee currently is on the Pirates roster, but has not played a game this season. I’m not sure of his status, but he’s only 36 years old, and I’m sure he’ll try and lace up his cleats for at least one more season.

I think this could be the last season we see from Lee as his numbers have dropped significantly. Of course, there’s no doubt he still can pick it at first base with the best of them, but what’s a first baseman without power in this slugging day and age?