One wouldn’t know it because of the way he has been playing for the last couple of years, but the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Jason Heyward is an All-Star, a World Series champion, and a five-time Gold Glove award winner.
He also has 1,422 MLB hits and 159 home runs, not to mention a couple of 5-WAR seasons in his career.
One of them came in 2012 with the Atlanta Braves.
In Atlanta, he met star first baseman Freddie Freeman.
Freeman, his friend, has said this offseason that he thinks Heyward has unlocked something in his swing during the offseason.
The Dodgers signed him to a one-year deal, so he either had to change or risk doing the same with poor results.
The player himself discussed his changes and the necessity of producing more.
“Jason Heyward on if he expected to make some alterations to his swing coming to the Dodgers: ‘If you have the last year and a half the way I had, you’d expect to make changes in the offseason,'” insider Fabian Ardaya tweeted, with some Heyward quotes.
Jason Heyward on if he expected to make some alterations to his swing coming to the Dodgers:
"If you have the last year and a half the way I had, you'd expect to make changes in the offseason."
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 20, 2023
The outfielder had a .627 OPS in 2021 and an even worse .557 mark in 2022 with the Chicago Cubs.
He was an important contributor for the 2016 team that won it all, but hasn’t been good for a while.
It was time to try something new: a new swing, and a change of scenery.
If someone can help save Heyward’s career, it’s the Dodgers.
Let’s see if his new swing yields better results.
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