Heading into Wednesday, Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is currently slashing .323/.421/.613 with three homers and eight runs batted in, and his 1.034 OPS ranks second behind Willson Contreras among all Cubs starters.
Sure, it is a very small sample size after just 38 plate appearances, but the advanced metrics are extremely encouraging for the oft-maligned and scrutinized Heyward.
Thus far, Heyward has totaled 20 batted balls at an average exit velocity of 91.0 MPH, according to MLB Statcast. This is nearly a full MPH more than Heyward’s 2015 season in St.