Jason Heyward Was Considered MLB's Next Superstar

Hey everyone!
It's always fun to look at top 100 prospect lists of the past to see which players were accurately predicted. However, some players are hyped up to the point where it seems they can never reach those expectations. Despite having a great career, Jason Heyward has seemingly fallen short of those giant expectations. He was one of the most hyped up prospects ever, but make no mistake, Heyward is a fantastic player.
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[@bradhorowitz2765]

The story of Jason is “who cares if u don’t fulfill expectations!” The career he has had is something any fan or player would dream of having. I’ll remember him as a defensive guru who helped the cubs win. What else can I ask for?

[@bryanzzz748]

He’s nearly a career 40 WAR player who managed to be one of the best defensive players of his era while also being an average offensive player, and yet we continue to look at him as a disappointment simply because he didn’t fulfill the expectation of being mike trout. i completely agree with your comment

[@nowellclay1283]

Well said peo people are so analytical these days and if he does not achieve a good war. the contract is a bust. look at Pujols is stats his contract was the best but he put up harper #

[@titoslounge1946]

It’d be nice if he didn’t roll over into double plays as often.

[@chrislewis5069]

I thought heyward was going to the next great power average hitter. He was hitting frozen ropes when he was coming up. Never saw anyone hit harder line drives. But things obviously changed

[@SamtheBravesFan]

I was real happy for him that he helped the Cubs win.

[@YakyuCosmopolitan]

I remember a lot of Giants fans being very unhappy about drafting Bumgarner instead of Heyward. It certainly looked like a mistake initially with how good Heyward was early in his career.

[@MichaelAnthonyPresents]

Bumgarner was just as good early on though, by 2012, he was definitely the superior player. He became the ace in 2013, while Heyward at his best was never really a top outfielder.

[@eastonowen6458]

id take bumgarner any day over heyward

[@wheresthewall8599]

Bumgarner 3 Rings Heyward 1

[@AidanCulverREAL]

@@MichaelAnthonyPresents Heyward was the 5th best outfielder in MLB from 2010-15. He was a top outfielder.

[@joemckim1183]

@@AidanCulverREAL Defensively maybe but offensively he was never more than above average.

[@ethanderoche9253]

To this day... I truly believe that the year he got his jaw broken from a pitch to the face was the year his offensive potential went down.

[@rogregg29445]

That absolutely sucked

[@KDJ0513]

I’ve always said that because if I’m not mistaken going into that game he were HOT like I think he had a 10-15 game hitting streak snapped and after that I feel like he was never the same.

[@DonCarlosDonCarlos]

Totally forgot about that, he was really never the same

[@MustacheDLuffy]

What year?

[@ethanderoche9253]

@@MustacheDLuffy 2013. I looked it up right after I posted this.

[@thenotoriousmm4433]

Heyward’s early years in Atlanta were one of the many reasons I chose to become a Braves fan, he was my favorite player growing up next to Chipper Jones. It’s sad to see how much he’s declined over the years

[@b.o.4469]

Name 3 more reasons

[@captaindolphin1489]

@@b.o.4469 why does he have too

[@b.o.4469]

@@captaindolphin1489 he said he had many reasons I thought 3 more would be a reasonable ask

[@thenotoriousmm4433]

@@b.o.4469 My dad was a Braves fan growing up and took me to games occasionally when I grew up, I loved the Braves’ uniforms more than anyone else’s growing up so I really attached to the team because of that, and Atlanta is the closest major league team to where I live at

[@stantheman2756]

@@thenotoriousmm4433 then you were always a fan since you were born into the team. You didn’t choose the braves. Your dad did. I didn’t choose the Angels. My dad did.

[@HeavyMetalFan]

Really happy with the end of the video. Way too often people talk about Heyward's career as being a disappointment, but in reality no one can live up to hype that intense. He's had a great career.

[@mariopalos9238]

I'll give him credit for his glovework, but if that's considered a great career, then the standards have surely dropped.

[@epholson97]

He really just seems like an incredibly good dude and that's always awesome to see in an athlete, regardless of their level of personal success.

[@KevinHalloran]

His WS Game 7 speech is worth the full price of his contract, which is the biggest in Cubs history. (He has 9.1 total WAR in 7 seasons with the Cubs, 6.9 WAR in one season with St. Louis.)

[@JennaLeigh]

As a lifelong Cubs fan, I will always love J Hey. He may not be "hitting the cover off the ball", but not all value can be broken down into numbers & decimal points. His heart, his passion, his love for the game, and his absolute loyalty to his teammates him an iconic Cubbie and I'm damn proud of him!!❤️💙❤️💙🐻⚾

[@adrianbautista2308]

I remember his first home run so vividly. He was so hyped up, and it seemed for a fleeting moment that he was going to exceed all of them.

[@surgeyibrahimovic5013]

I do too. He backed the hype up if only for a brief period

[@CharmCityGamer]

I remember when Jason debuted, Turner Field went crazy with that first home run.. crazy how guys shake out.

[@VisibilityFoggy]

Wow... I always liked seeing him as a player (despite being a Mets fan lol) but never knew he was such a good dude in real life, honoring his friend and handling all the pressure of being the superstar the right way.

[@alex__825]

thank you. always wanted to see a video on heywards career and everything. love ur videos

[@zachleiba6330]

5 gold gloves, an all star, won a ws and has made millions. Very successful career

[@BaseballisEverything]

I lost so much money on Jason Heyward rookie cards cause i thought he would be a First Ballot Hall of Famer!

[@BaseballisEverything]

If Heyward was better the Cubs could have won Multiple World Series.

[@gyromaster4174]

No

[@KDJ0513]

Can’t wait too see a Braves rebuild video sooo many trades built that championship roster last year

[@zlpatriot11]

Can't wait!

[@jasontallini]

I’m here for it

[@risboturbide9396]

Great video! I always loved Heyward's talent; I hope he'll make the Dodgers' opening roster. Anyway, thank you; I'm now subscribed!

[@tododuralde]

This might be a flex (not sure) but when i was like 14 i was going through a cancerous tumor removal and i managed to get a signed Heyward baseball from him. Ive had it for 12 years and its still one of my prised possessions

[@SportStorm23]

Wow I bet that’s certainly one of the most unique things he ever signed. I wonder if he remembers that at all

[@tododuralde]

@@SportStorm23 I highly doubt it, I should go to Chicago just to see

[@donkeykong1234]

this is your best one yet, great story telling

[@joelnelson4770]

Aside from his World Series Game 7 rain delay clubhouse speech, I feel like most Cubs fans will sadly remember Heyward for having an albatross contract that prevented the Cubs from making more moves in free agency to not only further extend their postseason window but possibly bring them back to another World Series

[@SchroederN8]

I always felt his swing was too long, causing his hands to trail through the zone. As a Braves fan I wanted him to succeed so bad, but he just couldn't ever put it together.

[@slocumb1270]

Couldn't do it in St. Louis either. Said he wouldn't sign a long term contract with the Cardinals in 2016 because they were too old, mainly referring to Wainwright and Molina.

[@jameswood1965]

Francour long swing he had

[@SchroederN8]

@@jameswood1965 Francour also couldn't lay off a slider to save his life lol

[@bergnog]

So underrated great channel keep up the good work!

[@SportStorm23]

Thank you!

[@not_2droptopxt193]

Thank You Storm Bro always really wanted to know why he got the biggest cash out for such little results. Keep up the good work man.

[@lurkintomgaming397]

Been waiting years for this inevitable video

[@chaunceymattei5049]

I still get goosebumps watching his first MLB at-bat. I remember watching this game from my dorm room in college going insane when he hit the homer off Zambrano… I was fortunate enough to compete against him when he played for the East Cobb Astros, it was clear he was gonna be a big-leaguer from day 1.

[@_blackclover]

as a cardinals fan, getting heyward was one of my happiest moments as a fan. it truly hurt to see him go to the cubs but honestly they needed to win sometime

[@bobbob-iv4we]

if it makes you feel any better hes definitely a prime contributor to them sucking now too

[@Apollo1989V]

I hate his diss of the cardinals on the way out.

[@jesseavila8508]

Didn't they get him because of the death of Oscar taveras

[@westhoodqualzini7884]

They did not win because of he years. Dudes a bum ever since he’s been on the cubs

[@mrballoonhands23]

Haven’t watched it yet but already know it’s gonna be a banger

[@logandore208]

same birthday as me, always been my guy, crazy someone made a video on him

[@jesseperry7704]

love this channel

[@SportStorm23]

Thank you!

[@steveregal6321]

Man I remember watching heywards first game and he hit a homer and made an incredible play in the outfield. I was like holy shit this kids going to be great lol

[@LouieOcean2]

This is a feel good story. Love it

[@jimroberts9327]

MLB: The Show 2011 remembers the hype.

[@WallStreet06]

Heyward is no joke just one of the nicest athletes I’ve ever met. Still have his ball from spring training 2011. I fully expect him to manage or run a team. He was also pretty good at baseball.

[@dawson4876]

the heyward-strasburg-posey rookie trio was pretty amazing

[@lunarumbreon7699]

As a young baseball fan growing up in NC, those first few years felt like there wasn’t anything you could do to Heyward out. As a Cubs fan I love watching him in the field and one of the best personalities in the sport but watching him hit is hard

[@Garrett1240]

He was never good with the bat

[@lunarumbreon7699]

@@Garrett1240 he was for a bit. It may have been shorter than I remember. It may have been half a season in my mind it felt like 2 or 3 but that’s nostalgia speaking. There was a time when he first got to the bigs that it felt like there wasn’t a way to get him out

[@Garrett1240]

@@lunarumbreon7699 go ahead and look at his stats. His stats back then wouldn’t be good today let alone then

[@lunarumbreon7699]

@@Garrett1240 he had a .400 obp as a rookie. The only player short of Soto that’s pulled that off in the modern era. How is that bad?

[@Garrett1240]

@@lunarumbreon7699 Are you serious? There’s been a small army of players who’ve had a 400 OBP in the modern era. There’s been at least 10 every year. Didn’t know he had a 400 OBP. That’s better than I thought

[@T2Baseball]

I watched Heyward play a ton here, in Chicago. He seemed like a good guy and was a physical specimen. He never got his hitting going which with today’s data collection and analysis, was baffling. He would hit the ball incredibly hard, but right into the ground to his pull side. If you look at his swing, it’s in an exaggerated down swing that doesn’t get into an upward plane until very late. The first half of his swing moves down as he is basically moving his entire body down by squatting. It’s only when his arms are fully extended that the bat moves upward into the zone. What this translates to is a very brief moment when the bat is on plane with the ball. For what it’s worth, IMO, his success comes from his natural physical ability as an athlete. I was glad to see that he did improve with The Dodgers and I only wish him well. He did invest in a really nice youth baseball facility here and it’s clear that he has a strong sense of community. By all accounts he was a great teammate and I wish him well. He did contribute to some really good Cubs seasons, it just wasn’t always on the field.

[@Gweb52]

Great vid . I think heyward sufferd a lot offensively by playing in that Atlanta stadium . I also think he fell into the money ball “a walk is as good as a hit “ way of thinking . He still has had a great career

[@EMK395]

I’m a huge cubs fan, and I’ve known fellow fans who complain that his contract was too big and he wouldn’t live up to all the hype or the money. The part he played in helping us win the WS made him worth every penny we’ve paid and continue to pay him. His bat might not be what it was hyped to be, but his glove and especially his presence on the team have made him priceless

[@jone6258]

he hit 230. and gave a speech that's worth 187 mil i guess after 87 years

[@TheTEN24]

Great video man was he good at a young age, he definitely fell off fast but he’s still playing and contributing for Cubs especially in the playoffs

[@ticnatz]

I watched that 1st AB home run here in Germany. Will never forget it.....

[@sams6520]

Jason Heyward will always be an icon of the early 2010's Braves for me, he was a star of the first Braves team I started following

[@Garrett1240]

He wasn’t good then either

[@cubzrulz]

I remember everyone was excited about Heyward coming to Chicago and I wasn't sold and sure enough it was a bust. Yeah he's a good glove, but that's where it stops.

[@zlpatriot11]

Do a video on a how the Braves out of nowhere won a World Series in 2021. As a Braves fan, it was a magical season. Go Braves!⚾

[@impracticallyperfect8987]

I was at the game when he hit a homer in his first at bat and it was so lit in that stadium.

[@mjhout]

I remember. And Jeff Francoeur was even moreso. Do him next!

[@blainealbright1797]

I can see that first home run clip and I’ll get chills every time I witnessed it as a little kid

[@joshforman6827]

I vividly remember his HR in is opening day (I was bechind the left field foul pole)

[@pcrswells]

I remember Jason in Atlanta, he was fun to watch. I can’t help but feel like The Braves hitting advice might have worked against him. When got to the major leagues the Braves tried to “fix” his swing. I remember hearing that someone said “his swing had a hole in it that pitchers could exploit.” If all this is true I think it did a disservice to him because I can only imagine the fire hose you were drinking from in the major leagues and then to have somebody mess with your swing that got you to the major leagues. Still a great player in great career despite that.

[@baronobeefdip7092]

It’s crazy I was just thinking about him the other day and wondering how he turned out to be

[@adamw1145]

Trading him and not signing him to that obscene extension was the greatest move Braves have ever made

[@shrimpinainteasy7370]

Yeah I hated to see him go cause I really liked him and wanted him to eventually figure things out and live up to the hype, but it was definitely the right decision.

[@famguy218]

I’m a Cubs fan who saw J-Hey hit his first ever home run and was so hyped when he signed with the Cubs. I just was pretty disappointed to see how much he’s struggled with the Cubs

[@westhoodqualzini7884]

He’s a bum. He got his money and now he’s riding it out

[@efrainsZ71]

As a Cubs fan, I definitely wanted Heyward to continue his success after his time with Atlanta and Cardinals. He will go down in Cubs history as the “guy that gave the speech”. But honestly he sucked!!! Cubs gave this man WAY to much money for nothing.

[@michaelmarine5662]

When he got hit in the face by that pitch he was never the same afterwards. 😥 I love Jay Hey

[@Ryan-gz9xg]

I’ve been watching Heyward since he joined the cubs and even the years he struggled he was one of my favorite players. Class act on and off the field, and all former cubs have talked about how impactful that rain delay speech was

[@mariopalos9238]

So, you don't regret the Cubs signing him?

[@michaelconnor5378]

@@mariopalos9238 Heyward can be summed up as a 184 million dollar pep talk. I’m amazed about how Cubs fans continue to gush about him

[@ryanc8701]

Heyward didn't become someone else... he became his own player. Respect #22

[@kylek1742]

Who else remembers the Domonic Brown hype too?

[@KDJ0513]

Finally some Braves content!!

[@willm3027]

I remember him.. I thought I hit the lotto when I picked him up on my last pick for a mlb fantasy draft.

[@Redsoxman9991]

Such a brutal contract for the cubs. I remember when that happened and thinking it was ridiculous.

[@ethanthompson5998]

I got into baseball right when Jason got to the mlb he was my favorite player for as long as he was a brave I still have a signed ball From him and a fathead of him

[@kevincapps7694]

I'm going to say he was one of the biggest bust ever especially for the Braves this man is 6'5 and chiseled out of granite he should have been a legitimate middle of the lineup monster mashing 40 to 50 home runs a year . He should have been the brave version of Ryan Howard

[@ColinGLogan]

Heyward's career fWAR of 34 is nearly double Howard's 19. He may never have hit like Howard did, but his defence has been ludicrously better and overall he's been a better player

[@westhoodqualzini7884]

@@ColinGLogan he didn’t get that contract because of his defense. He’s a bum after he got his money. He robbed the cubs plain and simple

[@jimodirakallumkal5351]

Exactly

[@mccoffee2317]

@@westhoodqualzini7884 helped us win a world series so I don't think any of us really care

[@westhoodqualzini7884]

@@mccoffee2317 yeah because 1 World Series is enough for cubs fans with a stacked team. He didn’t help at all with the World Series offensively and he’s been trash ever since. He gave a speech and that’s more than enough for cubs fan

[@zmongi1]

Is this the narrator the same guy who runs “Company Man”? Took me so long to realize it’s the exact same voice.

[@Stooch]

they really need to stop comparing young players with people who performed well into their 30's

[@PilotGates_]

Jay Hey is still very much loved in Atlanta

[@tyler3876]

Lowkey, he’s only 32, has nearly 40 WAR, if he can half a great 5 years, we could see him sneak on the Hall of Fame ballot for a while

[@2jsalomon]

everything you mentioned is like directly in order from his wikipedia page haha. wonder if they updated it after your vid

[@tylercole5218]

Idk what's more admirable. Jason's dedication or his father's.

[@ryan109]

Bro that intro was fire .. thought I was listening to a trippie red or carti song

[@czabeats2964]

I remember it was him and buster posey

[@insanetundra1010]

Can you do Jose Bautista hall of Fame case?

[@lucasmcclain3088]

The reason he wears 22 is beautiful and shows u what type of person Jason is.. Heyward a real one. Glad he got that ring in 2016.

[@aarond23]

As a Cubs fan this video will hurt and I just started it...such high hopes...so many groundballs to second base...but at least we got a WS out of it.

[@mariopalos9238]

In 20 WS at-bats, Heyward batted .150 with zero home runs and zero runs batted in.

[@elcee3292]

Plenty of people don't make it, regardless of hype. I'm more interested in the relationship with his father. I love hearing the lengths his father went to to be present in his sons life and support his dream. Sounds like an amazing man

[@maverickjb10]

I remember his first Homerun against the Cubs vividly. I thought him and Francouer was going to be better. They always had that hole in their swings though so expected.

[@lunarumbreon7699]

This video came out right as I was sitting next to my cousin that got to pitch against Heyward in high school

[@SportStorm23]

Did he walk Heyward?

[@lunarumbreon7699]

@@SportStorm23 ok I kinda lied to make it more interesting. He pitched the game before and was spared having to pitch to Heyward

[@jonathandempsey9228]

Supposedly at one time there was a mega deal with the Yankees that would have involved Heyward in the deal and Aaron judge coming to the Braves that fell through.

[@raychapman1134]

As a Cubs fan I think he is worth every penny he got paid. The locker room speech alone made it the greatest deal in Cubs history.

[@ThatImpact]

i played at east cobb

[@xilbup212]

Great video! Getting hit in the face is what derailed Heyward in my opinion.

[@macwages3924]

Braves may not have won the World Series without the Heyward trade. We got Shelby Miller in return who we later flipped for Dansby and Ender Inciarte.

[@coyotelong4349]

Heyward is a legend with Braves and Cubs fans, and that’s all that should matter

[@michaelpoot332]

You sound like Matt pat from game theory!

[@_will795]

I was so mad the Cardinals weren’t able to keep him. But looking back at it I’m happy they didn’t

[@Dannyjoeoconnor]

As a Cubs fan it pains me that J-Hey was on a hall of fame trajectory until he joined us, then he forgot how to hit. Great guy though

[@Dannyjoeoconnor]

Also, I should say that his leadership is truly special, he is a fantastic man.

[@slaugmromni6743]

Heyward has had a decent career, but at no point was he on a hall of fame path. Just my opinion.

[@gnielsen07]

@@slaugmromni6743 had 30 WAR by age 25. That’s arguably a hall of fame path

[@yankmyass]

@@slaugmromni6743 you can have that opinion but the facts say otherwise

[@michaelconnor5378]

@@slaugmromni6743 could we say that his pep talk was a “do as I say, not as I do” type of pep talk?

[@joshuapatrick682]

Pretty sure everyone in Chicagoland who cares about baseball would be happy with the more than 100,000,000 the cubs paid him after learning about his pep talk before the 10th inning of Game 7 of the WS…even if he never played a game after that one for them.

[@kylek1742]

1:15 “Eugeeeeeene”

[@cheddarcheese7928]

I watch Hayward play..He’s got speed..He’s got power..He’s got the Glove..He’s got the arm..But somehow can’t put it together

[@MBustos828]

I remember reading an article in I think ESPN the magazine that basically said the Braves “incentivized” the Marlins to make sure they didn’t draft him. Read into that what you will 😂

[@EndorphinSauce]

Chipper Jones once called Heyward “a force to be dealt with in the league” and we all knew what he was talking about.

[@ousamaabdu794]

The biggest Achilles heel that Heyward always had was his swing was quite long. I was always rooting for him but that long swing has been the biggest reason why he never reached his full potential offensively.

[@CalebsCards]

I remember wanting his rookie card so bad back in 2010. All the Beckett magazines said to get him. I finally found one in a collection years later, by that time no one cared. Crazy how a few years changes things.

[@AndrewHanus]

As a Cubs fan, I’m big sad

[@88bcl]

ahead of david price and josh vitters. ...bro. i never heard that name until this video. there had to have been another name in that class that coulda been used for comparison right?

[@rikmichaels9233]

Heyward reminded me of Griffey

[@iamhungey12345]

I remember the hype regarding his rookie baseball card in 2010 and his fanboys got triggered when Buster Posey won the Rookie of the Year that season. In the end it seems the only part of his game that lived up to his hype was his glove. At least he'll always have his 2016 ring.

[@michaelgerhardt7130]

I don’t think the Cubs have ever wasted more money on someone who has produced absolutely nothing.

[@naswiipp]

Exactly. Double Play Hey!! Hot garbage!!

[@bocephus1911]

2nd best thing that happened to the cardinals, they are so glad he didn’t accept their offer and signed with the cubs

[@RetepAdam]

Ridgewood’s own!

[@JC-mb1jm]

I always wished my red Sox would have gotten him

[@baseballworldwide9439]

I wonder if the braves kept their interest in heyward very secret??