Will Jason Heyward Reap The Rewards Of His New Lineup?

Chicago’s biggest acquisition this winter was Jason Heyward, the 26-year-old outfielder who left St. Louis for the rival Cubs. Heyward is widely considered the final piece to this powerful lineup, but what exactly will he provide in terms of fantasy value? Chicago has a solid core in the middle of the batting order with Rizzo, Bryant and Schwarber. Heyward is too good to bat in the bottom, so what exactly do you do with him? The second spot seems to be the ideal option, right in front of the power hitters. Heyward’s coming off one of the better years of his MLB tenure, posting career highs in batting average, hits, triples and stolen bases. One huge benefit coming to him will be good pitches to hit. With Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant right behind him, walking Heyward will not be an option for opposing pitchers. This could easily result in the best hitting season of his career. Heyward is projected to be a second outfield option, so you may have a couple of rounds to fill other holes before his time comes. What he will provide you with is plenty of base hits, probably another career high, surpassing last year’s mark of 160. Look for his batting average to stay right around the .290 mark, perhaps creep closer to .300 with the aforementioned power bats providing protection behind him. All in all, Heyward may turn out to be one of the top second outfielders in the draft.