Jason Heyward Makes Atlanta Braves Opening Day Roster

In Bobby Cox’s last season the Atlanta Braves aren’t screwing around. They are going for it and going for it hard. Instead of sending super prospect Jason Heyward down to the minors to increase his service time, the Braves feel they are a better team with him in their lineup, so he stays in the majors.

On Friday, the Braves announced that Heyward had made the team.

“I’m delighted to tell you you’re on the team, Jason, simply because you make us a better team,” Cox told Heyward. How awesome is that!

Heyward used a monster spring to make the Braves’ roster. Heyward has hit .366 with one home run in 41 ABs so far this spring. With Heyward, who is a right fielder in the mix, Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz will platoon in left with Nate McLouth manning center.

Here are some other facts about Heyward.

Age: 20

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

College: None. Drafted out of Henry County High School in McDonough, GA

Drafted: 14th pick in the first round of the 2007 Draft

Minor League Stats:

2007 Rookie: .302 with one home run, one SB, and a .354 OBP in 12 games

2008 Single-A and High Single-A: .316 with 11 home runs, 15 SBs, and a .381 OBP in 127 games

2009 High Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A: .323 with 17 home runs, 10 SBs, and a .408 OBP in 99 games

Keith Law Ranking and Analysis:

Ranking: No. 1 out of 100 best prospects in 2010

Analysis: “Heyward’s ascent to the top of these rankings was swift and unimpeded, and his path to the majors appears to be much the same, as he’ll have a good chance to win the every-day right-field job this spring. Heyward will be a middle-of-the-order bat with power and patience while playing above-average defense in right with a plus arm.

He has an advanced approach at the plate, something that was already in place when he was a 17-year-old high school senior, and strong, quick wrists that let him commit later to pitches while still driving the ball to all fields. He gets good leverage in his swing and has plenty of loft to eventually produce 30-plus homers a year, and so far hasn’t shown any tendency to expand the zone because he’s trying too hard to hit for power.

In the field, he has outgrown center but moves extremely well in right with good reads off the bat. And you can see from all of the above that he has a high baseball IQ, with good feel and/or instincts in every area of the game, especially for someone his age. He murdered Double-A pitching at age 19 in a 200-PA sample, and his career stat line reads .318/.391/.508, nearly all of which was compiled before he turned 20 in August.

His swing isn’t perfect—he does bar his front arm very briefly—but he’s so strong and has such bat speed that the minor flaw has been irrelevant at every stop of his pro career. Everything else here points to stardom.”

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