Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Is Jason Heyward the second coming of Hank Aaron?

With all of the talk surrounding Jason Heyward making the National League all-star team, his rookie season bears many comparisons to another 20-year-old Braves phenom, Hank Aaron. While Heyward has another 20 years to go to fill the shoes of his mentor, one can't help but compare the two right fielders as rookies. Similar in their strong builds, youthful exuberance, sweet swings and position; this generation could quite possibly be watching the second coming of Aaron develop before their eyes.



Both players spent minimal time in the minor leagues, with Aaron playing 224 games and Heyward playing 238 before entering the majors at the age of 20. After torrid spring trainings (Aaron's aided by the injury of Bobby Thomson's ankle) they were named the starting right fielders for their clubs and quickly captivated the attention of the fans, media and their teammates.

Again, while premature, as we approach the all-star break, here is a statistical comparison of the first halves of Aaron and Heyward's rookie seasons. If this is any indicator of what lies ahead for Heyward, we very well might be seeing greatness in the making.


Hank Aaron 1954 rookie year first and second half splits
I Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+
1st Half 76 74 325 297 40 85 20 3 11 45 1 2 22 24 .286 .337 .485 .822 144 8 2 2 2 0 4 .280 113 123
2nd Half 46 39 184 171 18 46 7 3 2 24 1 0 6 15 .269 .294 .380 .675 65 5 1 4 2 0 3 .282 76 87
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/7/2010.

Jason Heyward 2010 rookie year first half stats as of 7/7/10
Split G GS PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+ sOPS+
1st Half 71 67 303 255 41 64 13 3 11 45 5 4 42 68 .251 .366 .455 .821 116 5 5 0 1 2 9 .299 100 124
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/7/2010.



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