After being designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a log jam at outfield with the return of Mookie Betts and acquisitions of Tommy Edman and Kevin Kiermaier, MLBbro Jason Heyward has cleared waivers and is signing with the Houston Astros to give them much needed depth at the position.
The Astros star outfielder Kyle Tucker is currently making his way back from a shin contusion he suffered on June 3 and Mauricio Dubon has been shaky at the plate. This gives the veteran bat and five-time Gold Glove winner Heyward plenty of opportunity to showcase his ability to get the playing time he deserves.
Age Aint Nothing But a Number… J-Hey Still Gets It Done
While with the Dodgers the 35-year-old Heyward slashed .208/ .289/ .393 with six homers and 28 RBIs in 63 games this season. Yes, the average is down, but if you look at Heyward’s career its par for when he has decreased playing time.
In 2022 while with the Chicago Cubs, Heyward batted a career low .204 average in 137 at bats but spent most of the year on IL due to a quadricep strain.
Let’s dive a little deeper. If we look at Dubon’s numbers he’s slashed for .255/ .284/ .359 with four homers and 38 RBIs in 2024. Here’s the kicker… He’s had 329 at bats compared to Heyward’s 173. That’s right, almost double the opportunity. It seems with Tucker out, J-Hey is exactly what the Astros need.
Championship Experience on a Contender Is Like Pringles… You Can Never Have Enough
The Astros are currently 3½ games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West and looking to win their second World Series since 2022 under Dusty Baker.
Having Heyward in the locker room for the home stretch of the season may do wonders since he has playoff and World Series experience, having played in 46 post-season games and winning a championship with the Cubs in 2016; where his leadership was shown in the biggest game of his career and for the franchise.
Heyward led an inspiring player’s only meeting in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series during a 17-minute rain delay, that many players credit for lighting the fire to get them over the hump to win their first championship in 108 years.
Maybe J-Hey can catch lightning in a bottle again for Houston. He’ll get the opportunity.
LOS ANGELES – Say Hey! Jason Heyward has been the unsung hero for a Dodgers team that has World Series championship aspirations.
This is Heyward’s second year with the team, previously with the Braves, Cardinals, and Cubs. He signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in December of 2022 with an invitation to spring training and ended up making the Opening Day roster.
2023 was a resurging year for J-Hey. He fixed some mechanics on his swing with the coaches, and ended up batting .269 in 124 games played, which was his highest batting average since the 2018. He had his second highest slugging percentage of his career at .473 as well.
The biggest reason for his resurgence was his new role on the team. Unlike his time in Chicago, St. Louis, and Atlanta where he was relied on much more and considered one of the team’s best players, he’s accepted more of a platoon role, meaning less pressure put onto him.
His new role was so valuable in 2023 to the boys in blue that his coaches and teammates gave Heyward the Roy Campanella Award, given to the most inspirational Dodger on the team. He was able to mentor rookie players like James Outman, and gave star player Mookie Betts the opportunity to stay fresh and get more playing time in the infield at second base.
He resigned with the Dodgers in December of 2023, this time on a one-year, $9 million deal. So far, he has not had the same success mainly due to spending much of the season on the IL with a back injury.
He’s only played in 17 games because of this, having a .234 batting average, with two home runs, six RBI, and has only struck out a total of seven times. Plus, he’s started to heat up over his past seven games played, with a .313/.389/.688 slashline.
The Dodgers infamously flamed out in the 2023 playoffs, and Heyward did not help, going zero for nine. That embarrassment caused the Dodgers to spend a fortune in free agency, including bringing back Heyward, to put the rest of the league on notice that no matter what, they are the favorites to win the 2024 World Series.
If there has been anything that turns a contender into a champion, it is the importance of the role player. The best players on a team are already counted on heavily to show up, but the difference makers that elevate a team over the top are the role players who aren’t as counted on, but show up big time, especially if a star player ends up underperforming.
This was evident for the Dodgers last year. Betts and Freddie Freeman underperformed in the playoffs, but the role players were also a no show. So if the Dodgers want to right last year’s wrong, then guys like Heyward are going to be crucial.
Jason Heyward came off bench late to triple in the 7th inning and hit a bro bomb in the 9th inning to help the LA Dodgers (36-22) put an historical losing streak behind them and complete a sweep of the New York Mets.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again poised to win the National League West Division.
This would mark their ninth division title in ten years. MLBbros manager Dave Roberts and National League MVP candidate, Mookie Betts have been leading the team to another successful season. However, one of the unsung heroes for the star-studded team in Los Angeles has been the veteran MLBbro Jason Heyward.
Heyward was signed by the Dodgers back in December of 2022 on a minor league contract.
The MLBbro veteran ended up making the opening day roster and has provided an invaluable contribution to the team. A 14-year veteran with tons of playoff experience was sure to help any team, especially one such as the Dodgers with high expectations every postseason.
The MLBbro is a former All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner, and most importantly a World Series champion. Adding someone of his pedigree, along with their other roster additions and culture, shows that the team is all in on another championship run,
Not only has Heyward been having a resurgent campaign, but he is also heating up in the final stretch of the season. In the month of August, the MLBbro batted over .300 and only struck out five times in 56 plate appearances. With 13 home runs, Heyward has hit more long balls this season than his last two seasons combined. His current batting average, .262 has not been this high since the 2018 season.
Some of Heyward’s rebirth can be attributed to being reunited with his former Atlanta Braves teammate Freddie Freeman. However, the major reason is his love for the game, and the MLBbro has said that this year he is enjoying playing the game again. His last few years in Chicago were met with disdain due to a hefty contract and underwhelming results.
He still helped to bring a championship to the windy city amidst all the criticism, and is proving this year that he still has something left in the tank. Dave Roberts has placed the MLBbro veteran in a role in which he can excel in easily, and he has done that, and if he continues the Dodgers will make a deep postseason run.
Chris Bolton’s Foul or Fair this week involves LA Dodgers MLBbro outfielder Jason Heyward, who has been a major contributor to every team he’s been on throughout his MLB career.
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