The former Yankees and Rangers first baseman topped out at 97 mph from the left side and struck out the first batter he faced swinging on an offspeed pitch. When signing long-term contracts, teams tend to pay them out equally over the length of the contract. Jason Heyward. That level of production would justify a $200 million contract based on the first five years alone. It took the Dodgers six games into their Cactus League schedule, but they finally achieved the ultimate spring . In particular, Heyward has a .188 BABIP on ground balls. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. The group as a whole averaged nearly four wins per season from age 26 through age 30, which would be a very good result for Jason Heyward. Donate to FanGraphs. For a big man, he can run a little It could have something to do with the. I then looked at age-25 performance and eliminated anyone who was not within two wins of Heywards six-win season this year. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. My favorite minor story line this season is that the Cubs are paying about $40 million to replace Heyward with Bellinger, and the Dodgers are paying about $0 to replace Bellinger with Heyward. Heyward did it all offensively as a rookie: he showed superb plate discipline (a 14.6% walk rate), hit for power (a .179 Isolated Power) and didnt punch out at an exorbitant rate (20.5 K%). Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted This group also aged incredibly well. That search reveals the following players. Granted, we cant just assume that Heyward will stay healthy from here on out (he had a thumb injury as a rookie and had some minor hip and shin ailments before that), but those are conservative projections if he does come to camp with a mended shoulder. Its easy to lose sight of Heywards age, considering that he has been in the majors for two years, stands 6-foot-5, 240 pounds and could probably grow a beard by noon if he shaved right now. Non-roster invitee Ronald Guzmn, who is in Giants camp as a two-way player, made his pitching debut in the ninth, surrendering a solo shot to P.J. Bothered by a right shoulder injury that has lingered since spring training and pushed him to the DL in late May, Heyward has yet to reach the double digits in home runs and has drawn criticism from Chipper Jones regarding his ability to play through injuries. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. That has something to do with the Angels deciding to play Trout in the corner outfield from time to time, but it also has a lot to do with Heyward having great range for a corner outfielder. Cubs president Jed Hoyer announced Monday the club intends to release veteran outfielder Jason Heyward from the final year of his deal at the end of the 2022 season. But a lot of the value Heyward accumulated last season he did in a fashion that might seem Troutian. Andy Pages emerging, however, could free Taylor up for the infield (we'll talk about him more in a bit). UZRs range component agrees. Biggio knows right field well. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Dropping down Heywards offense by 20 runs still yields no other results. Support FanGraphs. Regarding the second concern, I attempted to isolate only very good fielding outfielders. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Heyward and David Peralta, a pair of veteran left-handed hitters, could see time against right-handed pitchers. No matter which group you look at, he is likely to be a productive player at age 30. For an awfully consistent hitter, Jason Heyward is considered an awfully frustrating hitter. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted FanGraphs crowdsourcing puts Heywards predicted contract at eight years and $184 million while Dave Cameron predicted a return to the Cardinals on a nine-year, $195 million contract with an opt-out after four years, making the value of the contract in excess of $200 million. Im a little stubborn in that way. But, when seen in the light of this years AL MVP debate, as well as the context of these four young outfielders, it is remarkable that Heyward has taken a similar path to Mike Trout, even with an athleticism that might be touch short of that demonstrated by the American League Rookie of the Year. Perhaps rightfully so. by Handedness. The above comparison paints an incredibly optimistic and rosy view of Heywards future, but there is some evidence to suggest that phenoms like Heyward age better than the rest of the population. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, That is a major boost for lefty pull hitters like Soto (who hit 38.1 percent of his balls in play to the right field side last season, per Fangraphs). 1 day ago. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward had glowing praise for manager Dave Roberts, whom he calls a "baseball rat" who loves being around the game. Going solely by offense, this group has a total bust rate of one in three. The lowest member of the group, Willie Randolph, still averaged more than three wins per season. All this before you look at his 11 home runs, easily a career low, less than the 14 he put up in two separate seasons when he averaged just 448 plate appearances. The grounders are just about all pulled. FanGraphs Shirts. I think thats in the ballpark. Contract: 8 yr, $184M (2016-23) AAV: $23.0M. News; Wikipedia: . and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. A recent graduate of Duquesne University, David Golebiewski is a contributing writer for Fangraphs, The Pittsburgh Sports Report and Baseball Analytics. Advanced fielding statistics Ultimate Zone Rating (. Hes hit 24 homers the last two years combined. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors Heyward hasnt shown quite the same level of plate discipline this season, as his rate of swinging at pitches out of the strike zone has increased by about four percentage points (24.2 percent to 28.3 percent; the MLB average is 29-30 percent). The coaches that were working with me were trying to get me to throw a sinker because sometimes my fastball sinks, Oviedo said. Birthdate: 8/9/1989 (33 y, 6 m, 21 d) Drafted: 2007 June Amateur Draft - Round: 1, Pick: 14, Overall: 14, Team: Atlanta Braves Perhaps its fitting, if random, that Heywards most recent highlights on MLB.com are all home-run-saving catches. Massive crying face emoji. His BABIP this season is .256, while his expected BABIP sits around .315. I am obligated to mention that Mike Trout still has two more seasons to add to his totals. With better luck, health and a little more development, Heyward could be a monster in 2012. Birthdate: 8/9/1989 (33 y, 6 m, 10 d) Drafted: 2007 June Amateur Draft - Round: 1, Pick: 14, Overall: 14, Team: Atlanta Braves Heaney then tossed a middle-middle fastball, hoping for an easy strike. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Very obviously, he can sting a ball when he gets extended. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, As expected, their value on defense drops over the next ten years, but a curious thing has happened to their offensive numbers simultaneously. Shelby Miller is a good young pitcher, but straight up for Heyward? Gift a Membership. Jason Heyward Reality Check | FanGraphs Membership Maybe you heard that some guy named Jason Heyward made the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day roster. Again, the talent is too much to ignore, and the increased contact and stolen bases are encouraging signs for a guy who still has at least a season or two to go before truly entering what should be the peak years of his career. A year ago, Jason Heyward was a fantasy baseball stud muffin. His average ranking is 7.5. The Pirates suggested that Oviedo begin throwing a sinker because his four-seam fastball naturally sinks. FanGraphs Membership. On June 3, Higgins recorded his first major league hit, . Dec 11 2015 Signed an 8 year $184 million contract with Chicago (CHC) Nov 15 2015 Player declined $15.8 million qualiying offer. He homered off former Dodger Andrew Heaney in Wednesdays second inning. The pre-season #1 prospect, whose legend grew with each car he dented while going deep in spring training, batted .277/.393/.456. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. With an injury (and a team deflation) taking some of the wind out of Stantons sails, and Buster Posey blowing up the National League Most Valuable Player debate, the new toys got a lot more attention than the old new ones. Heyward, a .211-hitter in 2021 and 2022, made significant swing changes over the winter. Follow/harass him on Twitter @Karl_de_Vries. 1 seed Bradley Braves (24-8, 16-4 MVC) square off against the No. Kiner-Falefa was a defensive whiz with 10 Defensive Runs saved in 2022, helping result in the lowest runs allowed per game in the Bronx since 1981. Theres no disputing that Heyward was frustrating to watch at times in 2011. Just ask Jason Heyward. Aggravating as it might be, we dont know the answers to those questions. From 2017 to 2019, he hit .260/.335/.406 for a 96 wRC+ He seemed. Thompson revived his career in Los Angeles last summer, hitting 13 homers with a .901 OPS. Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Now, Heyward has an extended history of making various adjustments underneath, he hasnt been that static. Putting everything together, we still have not placed a value on those wins. Heyward hasn't shown quite the same level of plate discipline this season, as his rate of swinging at pitches out of the strike zone has increased by about four percentage points (24.2 percent to. Gomber is working on a two-seam, sinking fastball that he hopes will work at altitude. Ive pulled some images from Baseball Savant. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Jason Heyward graphs for Major League baseball. Unfortunately, for studying purposes anyway, there simply are not enough of those types of players to look at. FanGraphs Mugs. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. But for now, we can revel in the fact that Jason Heyward, yeah he does a pretty good Mike Trout impression. by Retrosheet. Theres very little fly-ball action in left field. Hitters might not want to hear this, but Phillies ace Zack Wheeler just added another pitch to his arsenal. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Jason Heyward pitch% heatmaps. Only Garrett Jones (three of 108) had a smaller percentage of GDPs with a minimum of 100 opportunities. Ideally, we could look for players like Jason Heyward who are good offensively and defensively and see how those players performed. It really had good numbers on the computer. Jason Heyward opens baseball academy in Chicago from TrueBlueLA.com at 2/4/2023 5:04:00 AM. Games. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Whatever the name, it might become a problem for them. This figure is not a conclusory number or necessarily the best way for projections, but simply another method in the attempt to find a likely value for Jason Heyward. The lack of power does prevent easy comparison to most free agent mega-deals. He recently contributed an article on Mike Stanton's slugging to The Hardball Times Annual 2012. But hes younger than Dustin Ackley, Jemile Weeks, Paul Goldschmidt, Dee Gordon, Jason Kipnis and a host of other rookies who had successful debuts in 2011, and hes younger than top-ranked prospects entering 2012 like Devin Mesoraco, Brett Jackson and Travis DArnaud. FanSided 1 day Jason Heyward . Heaney added that, in the regular season, he probably wouldnt have thrown that pitch in that situation. If he took the same type of offensive step forward as Carlos Beltran and Reggie Smith, he might win an MVP. I was like, I really just want to see a strike, Heaney said. Whether he finds a home with Cleveland certainly wont depend on whether Quinn can maintain his power output. Jason Alias Heyward (born August 9, 1989), nicknamed " J-Hey " is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Just a couple years ago, it was Jason Heyward and Giancarlo Stanton that were tearing up baseball, looking like an unprecedented pair of rookie talents ready to continue on into the stratosphere together. Instead, Heywards dinger deficiency has been the byproduct of some ominous declines: Whats changed? All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. The fact that he gets value from non-traditional means is also not a brain buster. But the power was largely absent. Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor will play shortstop for now. Upton, Chris Johnson and Andrelton Simmons, and its worth noting that Justin Upton and Heyward too, for that matter will be a free agent after next year, leaving open the possibility that the Braves could move him if the team decides to rebuild. . by Retrosheet. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted All he needs to do is stay healthy. He started 13 games there in 2021 and six last season, but John Schneider is expecting more of a 50-50 split for Biggio between the infield and outfield this season, adding that hell play a ton of outfield. Bill James: .269/.374/.457, 21 HR Its not even clear this would be a good thing. Carpenter upped his power output, and his grounder pull rate jumped from 53% to 68%. Andrelton A. Simmons 198994 18888426 . His work for Inside Edge Scouting Services has appeared on ESPN.com and Yahoo.com, and he was a fantasy baseball columnist for Rotoworld from 2009-2010. According to Fangraphs, during his first six seasons, Jason Heyward was "worth" $198.1 million. Are the extra outside swings, pop ups and grounders the result of his shoulder ailment, or normal growing pains for a player who wont turn 22 until August? . When Heyward is Ellsburys age, he will have just finished Year Six, or might have already opted out for another big contract. This is how it usually works with increases in pulled grounders: Its a consequence of taking a more power-centric approach. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors Service Time : Reported as the pre-2022 value. Lets focus on Heyward and power for a minute, then. Jason Heyward, who was instrumental in the lore of the infamous Game 7 rain delay, was once the thorn in the side of fans looking for a scapegoat to blame for the club's lack of spending. Can you imagine what he would have batted if he had been in the Carolina League or the Pac-12 over the past couple of years? Craig Edwards can be found on twitter @craigjedwards. Keep looking at him, and also keep looking at his numbers, as the season begins and wears on. First, there are questions as to whether Heyward is actually worth as much as the defensive metrics say he is. Which can be overcome, but only by also hitting fewer grounders. Also keep in mind that ZiPS, Bill James and Oliver dont know that Heyward was taking cuts with a bad shoulder last year; they just see a young guy who struggled after a fantastic rookie year. All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Combining average power with a low strikeout rate (14.8% in 2015) and a solid walk rate (9.2%), Heywards wRC+ of 121 puts him in the upper third in terms of the leagues hitters. The games, as you well know, havent mattered yet. Heyward went first to third on a single 15 of 32 times according to BIS, and thats not quite Trout-level (62%), but it was 15th-best of 180 qualified players. Tony Conigliaro was unfortunately never the same after a pitch permanently injured him, while other players like Ruben Sierra and Carlos Baerga simply did not produce despite opportunities. Kiner-Falefa had a slash line of .261/.314/.327 . There are not enough players here to draw conclusions, but it might be worth looking into whether good, young defensive players age better overall as hitters. But theres real doubt about his ability to deliver even 15 home runs or produce high amounts of runs and RBIs in that lineup, regardless of where he hits. Hitters think about driving the ball in the air up the middle or to the pull side, and then when the contact isnt just right, a grounder gets yanked. sent RF Jason Heyward on a rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves. One of the hottest young prospects in baseball right now is Atlanta's Jason Heyward. 2022 600 PA / 200 IP Projections Steamer600. I dont want to start my first game of Spring Training going 3-0 on a guy or nibbling. Last season, Oviedos fastball had five fewer inches of rise or more sink than four-seam fastballs at similar velocities. Heyward, as you know, is left-handed, and here is where he hit baseballs between 2014 2015: I dont know what, if anything, stands out right away. Taking the runs above average on offense from the offensive group and the runs above average from the defensive group, adding in the value of a replacement player by averaging the plate appearances from the two groups and then using ten runs per win, we can get an approximate value. But as far as I believe, batted-ball distributions arent as noisy as, say, BABIP. When we know nothing else about Jason Heyward except the way he hits singles, doubles, triples, home runs and walks without regard for his offensive contributions on the basepaths or his defense, his comps would be worth $159 million. He went second to home on a single. by Retrosheet. Simply put, players who dominate the competition at such a young age often end up in Cooperstown, not benched in favor of Jose Constanza. by Retrosheet. He recently contributed an article on Mike Stanton's slugging to The Hardball Times Annual 2012. At an age when most players are chasing a trip to Omaha or cutting their teeth in Low Class-A, Jason Heyward crushed major league pitching in 2010. And then well see if he wants to stay on the same course. Sadly, the only skill that Heyward hasnt displayed during his bright, brief career is health. Eno, how do you have the nerve to put up a Jason Heyward article before an article about Chone Figgins release? His 23 percent infield/fly ball rate is third-highest in the majors, trailing only Corey Patterson and Mark Trumbo. Contact David at david.golebiewski@gmail.com and check out his work at Journalist For Hire. The last qualifier hurt more than helped Heyward, as Barry Bonds and Adrian Beltre were removed from the list. FanGraphs' Roster Resource has Adrian Sampson in the fifth spot in the rotation, but he has the ability to function as a long reliever/sixth starter if need be. Drafted: 2007 June Amateur Draft - Round: 1, Pick: 14, Overall: 14, Team: Atlanta Braves. Notes: PitchCom, Jason Heyward, cold weather Dodgers pitchers are hesitant to use the PitchCom device to call their own pitches. One spring of spring-training data. From 26 to 35, the group got better offensively and the only player who completely busted was Carey Patterson. A few trade pickups last year are rated highly in 2023. Roberts described Jason Heyward, the former Cub who came to Dodgers camp as a non-roster invite, as "more than adequate" in the field at center. After the home run, back in the zone with offspeed pitches. These comparable players here are not quite as accomplished as those from the WAR group above, which is to be expected given defense is not taken into account. I looked for outfielders from 1960 to 2007 who produced defensive runs above average (which includes the positional adjustment) within 20 runs of Heywards 61.9 runs above average mark. Latest News/Blog Posts about Jason Heyward. Dodgers 'believe' in Jason Heyward; can swing change revive his career? BIS found more under-cover evidence of his speed: Heyward only grounded into five double plays in 145 GDP opportunities. Free agent Jason Heyward agreed to a $184 million, eight-year contract with the Cubs, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Over 55 combined seasons, the group averaged five wins per season. As such, its hard to decide what to make of Heywards 2014 season, in which he finished 34th among outfielders in Zach Sanders rankings, as he made strides as a contact hitter while taking a step back in the power department. But Trejo, who came to Spring Training to try to change some minds, had a change in latitude because Gold Glove second baseman Brendan Rodgers sustained a dislocated left shoulder in the previous game. He went second to home on a single 82% of the time, which was 16th-best among 131 players. The Chicago Cubs outfielder hit a third of batted balls in play in the air in 2016, but saw his slugging percentage dip to a career-low (.325) due to his exit velocity . The 19-year old was a first round pick in 2007 and has wasted no time The 19-year old was a first round pick in 2007 and has wasted no time establishing himself as a premier outfielder Especially because of the accidental report that floated this week about Canario already being back on the field doing baseball work (he's not; still way too early for . Heywards main drawback, perhaps only drawback, as a player seeking more than $100 million is his lack of power. Jason Heyward was a very good baseball player for a very long time. Heywards year wasnt in the same realm as Ott, Mantle or A-Rod, but he outdid Willie Mays, Hank Aaron (outside of the top 25 with a 103 OPS+) and Johnny Bench, among many others, and kept company with Junior Griffey. "I've talked . Heywards .113 ISO was no less than 71 points below his career mark entering this year, he slugged just .384 and notched only 58 RBIs, despite making about one-third of his plate appearances as the fifth hitter in the Braves order. For comparisons sake, the average age for hitters in the Low-A South Atlantic League (which Heyward aced at 18) was 21.4 in 2011. Indiana State vs Bradley MVC Tournament odds, tips and betting trends. Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted Oliver: .273/.367/.475, 19 HR If Heyward had one or two games where he hit everything the other way, that would make this look way different, and thats why its too early to say anything. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors The team is confident in . Its not surprising. We're asking for your help to make it. The next group of comps considers only offensive production. Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors And he continued to hit far too many ground balls (nearly 54 percent of the time he put it in play), limiting his power output (.162 ISO). Teams should, and likely do, look at adding years to a contract as spreading out money over a longer time period rather than seeking an extra year of value. All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com. Heyward Still Part of Chicago, Senga's Physical, Steele's Approach, Farm System, and Other Cubs Bullets from . 2022 600 PA / 200 IP Projections Steamer600. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Jason Heyward LAD OF L Born: 08/09/1989 Age: 33 FanGraphs Player Page Auctions are not allowed at this time On MLB 40-man: NO Acquired: Free Agent (CHC) Dec'22 Positions OF Overall Last 10 All. and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions. Phillies (24th, 1.4 WAR) With Bryce Harper undergoing Tommy John surgery and likely to miss the first half of the season, the spotlight is again on Nick Castellanos, whose performance in the first year of his five-year, $100 million deal was downright dreadful. His 2012 projections are strong . FOX Sports - Rowan Kavner 1d. So what is his value in an auction re-draft league? 2022 Updated In-Season Projections All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman. Now, they are tasked with turning things around this year, in what should be a competitive National League once again. They were like, Why are you not throwing it with a [sinker] grip and try to get used to it and learn how to throw it?. . A recent graduate of Duquesne University, David Golebiewski is a contributing writer for Fangraphs, The Pittsburgh Sports Report and Baseball Analytics. Los Angeles Dodgers Betting Prediction: Road to the MLB 2023 Season. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, I was just saying the other day that there hasnt been a free agent whos so valuable in this particular waya combination of very good performance and youthsince A-Rod in 2000. The shift movement had already produced some . The hard contact, however, is further reinforcement that some offseason swing changes are paying dividends. $8? The other groups, with players similar to some aspect of Heywards game, but inferior in other ways, make Heyward a high-quality player, one perhaps worthy of a $200 million contract, but not a Hall of Famer. Quite obviously, Im lukewarm on Heyward, and his upside might merit a few dollars more, but Id need to see him take a step forward before I start paying for him as a frontline fantasy cornerstone. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball. Lacking in top shelf power, Heyward still provided solid numbers on offense, and after a disappointing start with he Cardinals, he hit .306/.375/.455 with a wRC+ of 130 from the beginning of May to the end of the season. . Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2023 4:51 PM ET, Park Factors What follows is an attempt to find similar players to Heyward using various methods: WAR, offense, defense, and a hybrid of offense and defense. Heres a bomb to right. The Chicago Cubs already boasted one of the best young . The names brought up most recently with regard to Heyward are Jacoby Ellsbury, who got seven years and $153 million from the New York Yankees two years ago, and Carl Crawford, who received seven years and $142 million from the Boston Red Sox five years ago. Even with a bum shoulder, Heyward has managed to draw a decent amount of walks and hit for some power. That was awesome, Kapler said. For the first method, we assume the only information we know is age, WAR, and total number of plate appearances. If we pretend we know nothing about Heywards defense, we can come up with a set of comps based solely on his hitting, even removing his value on the basepaths. Heyward was coming off a rookie season in which he popped 18 home runs and batted .277/.393/.456 at age 20, tying him with Ty Cobb for the Using the players from the chart above, here is how those players played from age 26 through age 30, the first five years of a potential Jason Heyward contract. Heres a powerful triple to center. Trejo, 27, is fine with pushing for all the starts he can at second if thats his opportunity to be in the lineup. He flew out to center field in his other at-bat in Friday's game. Age plays a crucial rule in projecting a players long-term performance, and Heyward still has plenty of development time left before he reaches what are typically the peak years of a hitters career. Heyward is actually the most accomplished offensive player in the group due to being worth more than 20 runs above average on the bases, but strictly as a hitter, these are the players with similar profiles. Hes still really young Heywards value also wasnt helped by a Braves lineup that finished among baseballs worst in wOBA and runs scored, and if the Braves were to move Evan Gattis this winter to make room for Christian Bethancourt, the lineup likely would only be weaker in 2015. His work for Inside Edge Scouting Services has appeared on ESPN.com and Yahoo.com, and he was a fantasy baseball columnist for Rotoworld from 2009-2010. How much will he be worth? At the very least, we should expect Heywards average over the rest of the season to climb considerably. Jason Heyward CF B/T: L/L 6' 5" 240LBS Age: 33 Draft: 2007 Rd: 1, #14, Atlanta Braves Henry County (GA) HS Player Apps Pitch Highlighter Player Similarity Shifts Swing Take Profile illustrator Zone Swing Profile Player Comparison Transaction History Show Random Video Stats Statcast Standard Splits Game Logs MLB Minors Batting Fielding Visuals Heres a bomb to right-center. The headline raises the red flag right off the bat Im probably making too much of too little. With Taylor refocusing on the infield, Roberts suggested he would be less likely to fill the void at center field. by Retrosheet. Apparently the Dodgers will do anything to keep James Outman on the farm. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, This spring, Heyward has hit 18 flies and liners, and hes sent two of them toward left.