The Cubs can use hitting jargon to explain Jason Heyward's steep offensive decline, focusing on bat angle and launch position, but there's still a bottom-line aspect to his struggles: How to handle the pressure that comes with signing the biggest contract in franchise history.
"You try so hard – and you want to be so good – you get to a point where you can't breathe," hitting coach John Mallee said.
If Heyward's life forever changed 13-plus months ago when he turned down the St. Louis Cardinals and signed that eight-year, $184 million megadeal, those mechanical issues had already been building for someone with long arms, a 6-foot-5-inch frame, a high-maintenance swing and a history of starting slow.