Comments on: Much Ado About Center Field: Jason Heyward’s Odd PECOTA Projection http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/02/25/much-ado-about-center-field-jason-heyward-and-pecota/ Just another Baseball Prospectus Local Sites site Sat, 16 Feb 2019 21:04:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 By: Mark http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2016/02/25/much-ado-about-center-field-jason-heyward-and-pecota/#comment-9192 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 17:03:57 +0000 http://wrigleyville.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=8428#comment-9192 I don’t understand why every player has to show more power. I know Heyward is a big guy but what is wrong with his current approach to hitting?

I feel like the need for more power was what led to Starlin Castro’s downfall. He started his career with as a high average hitter with little power. His power continued to grow in his first 3 years (14 HR in 2012) but people wanted more. So they added a leg kick to add more power but screwed him up in the process. Yes, he recovered with a solid season in 2014 but that was sandwiched by two terrible season in 2013 and 2015 (631 and 671 OPS, respectively). Am I in the wrong here that taking a .280-.300 hitter with 10-14 HR and trying to make him a 20+ HR hitter with sometimes disastrous consequences to his OPS is a bad idea?

Why does Heyward have to adjust anything when he hit 293 with a 359 OBP and 13 HR last year. I’ll take that any day over .250/.300/22 HR. Maybe analytics proves my thought incorrect on this matter.

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