Can Jason Heyward Fucking Hit Ever

[SKO]

I'm not to firebarn stage but his wRC+ is back down to 84. Can he fucking hit at some point or no

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

I'm not to firebarn stage but his wRC+ is back down to 84. Can he fucking hit at some point or no

Is 6 days ago too long in the past.

[Yeti]

I'm not to firebarn stage but his wRC+ is back down to 84. Can he fucking hit at some point or no

Is 6 days ago too long in the past.

Nice to see 2016 Playoff SKO is coming back

[SKO]

I'm not to firebarn stage but his wRC+ is back down to 84. Can he fucking hit at some point or no

Is 6 days ago too long in the past.

And yet despite that homer he has an 84 wRC+, almost as though seasons are made up of hundreds of plate appearances in aggregate

[SKO]

I'm not to firebarn stage but his wRC+ is back down to 84. Can he fucking hit at some point or no

Is 6 days ago too long in the past.

Nice to see 2016 Playoff SKO is coming back

I mean sure, I guess. They're gonna win the division. I don't feel particularly doomish but is all criticism now banned due to the World Series win? Because otherwise I feel like Heyward now 2/3rds of the way to another subpar season might start to merit a little guff.

[Quality Start Machine]

This is the meatballiest meatball to ever meatball.

[SKO]

This is the meatballiest meatball to ever meatball.

He ranks 19th out of 28 in qualified right fielders in fWAR, which accounts for his defense and baserunning. Offensively he's 36th out of 40 RFers with 200 PAs. I don't think it is meatball to want him to be better than that.

[SKO]

I mean if the official line is just going to be He Was a World Series Winning Cub, Lay Off, then fine, we should stop complaining about Lackey, too. Both were players who were negative WPA players in October, but Jason gave a speech, so fine. If criticism of any 2016 Cub is allowed I don't see how it's wrong to point out that the guy who ranks in the bottom 3rd of all right fielders is kinda bad.

[Quality Start Machine]

I mean if the official line is just going to be He Was a World Series Winning Cub, Lay Off, then fine, we should stop complaining about Lackey, too. Both were players who were negative WPA players in October, but Jason gave a speech, so fine. If criticism of any 2016 Cub is allowed, then, I don't see how it's wrong to point out that the guy who ranks in the bottom 3rd of all right fielders is kinda bad.

So what makes his 84 wRC+ any worse than Addison Russell's? Or worse than Zobrist's 81?

Look, there are a bunch of guys who are going to the plate as if they're carrying Wiffle Ball bats. Singling out Heyward is pretty much begging for a bath in marinara sauce.

[Chuck to Chuck]

I mean if the official line is just going to be He Was a World Series Winning Cub, Lay Off, then fine, we should stop complaining about Lackey, too. Both were players who were negative WPA players in October, but Jason gave a speech, so fine. If criticism of any 2016 Cub is allowed, then, I don't see how it's wrong to point out that the guy who ranks in the bottom 3rd of all right fielders is kinda bad.

So what makes his 84 wRC+ any worse than Addison Russell's? Or worse than Zobrist's 81?

Look, there are a bunch of guys who are going to the plate as if they're carrying Wiffle Ball bats. Singling out Heyward is pretty much begging for a bath in marinara sauce.

Heyward, Schwarber, Baez and Zobrist are all going to have to hit better for this to be a repeat of the repeat.

[SKO]

I mean if the official line is just going to be He Was a World Series Winning Cub, Lay Off, then fine, we should stop complaining about Lackey, too. Both were players who were negative WPA players in October, but Jason gave a speech, so fine. If criticism of any 2016 Cub is allowed, then, I don't see how it's wrong to point out that the guy who ranks in the bottom 3rd of all right fielders is kinda bad.

So what makes his 84 wRC+ any worse than Addison Russell's? Or worse than Zobrist's 81?

Look, there are a bunch of guys who are going to the plate as if they're carrying Wiffle Ball bats. Singling out Heyward is pretty much begging for a bath in marinara sauce.

Addison Russell I am mostly just ignoring this year because I don't want to talk about him, but yeah I'm fine with pointing out that he sucks this year. Although he's ahead of Heyward in both fWAR (1.4 to 1.0) and bWAR (2.2 to 1.9).

Zobrist is a bummer but he's also old as shit, is on a much shorter deal, and plays basically the deepest position on the team where Joe has had no problem phasing him out whenever needed in favor of Javy or Happ. When you sign a 36 year old dude for the sole purpose of winning a world series with him, taking on the risk that he could go belly up fairly soon, you can only complain so much when that happens.

Heyward was given a mega-deal (and I try not to hold contracts against dudes, because you should take whatever deal you can get) because he was 26 and expected to be entering his prime and if he doesn't opt out (and at this point he sure as hell won't), they're stuck with him for 6 more years and he'll also probably prevent them from going after guys who could represent substantial upgrades, like Bryce Harper. He was signed on the basis of being an above average offensive player with an elite glove, and he's cratered to a well below average offensive player and is now just a below average player overall. We're also nearing 900 plate appearances of this shit. It's not a slump or a mirage. It appears to just be who he is now, new swing be damned.

[SKO]

I mean if the official line is just going to be He Was a World Series Winning Cub, Lay Off, then fine, we should stop complaining about Lackey, too. Both were players who were negative WPA players in October, but Jason gave a speech, so fine. If criticism of any 2016 Cub is allowed, then, I don't see how it's wrong to point out that the guy who ranks in the bottom 3rd of all right fielders is kinda bad.

So what makes his 84 wRC+ any worse than Addison Russell's? Or worse than Zobrist's 81?

Look, there are a bunch of guys who are going to the plate as if they're carrying Wiffle Ball bats. Singling out Heyward is pretty much begging for a bath in marinara sauce.

Heyward, Schwarber, Baez and Zobrist are all going to have to hit better for this to be a repeat of the repeat.

Schwarber is at .258/.338/.561/.898 since he got called back up. His overall season line is dreadful enough to mask it but barring another regression if he just keeps hitting like this he's carrying his weight offensively.

Baez doesn't have to hit better than this. He's got a .788 OPS playing plus defense as a super utility guy. He's the same guy he was last year when they won. Last year he was surrounded by better hitters, though.

[Quality Start Machine]

Heyward was given a mega-deal (and I try not to hold contracts against dudes, because you should take whatever deal you can get) because he was 26 and expected to be entering his prime and if he doesn't opt out (and at this point he sure as hell won't), they're stuck with him for 6 more years and he'll also probably prevent them from going after guys who could represent substantial upgrades, like Bryce Harper. He was signed on the basis of being an above average offensive player with an elite glove, and he's cratered to a well below average offensive player and is now just a below average player overall. We're also nearing 900 plate appearances of this shit. It's not a slump or a mirage. It appears to just be who he is now, new swing be damned.

Bryce Harper on the Cubs is not now, nor will ever be, anything more than a wet dream. And the Cubs, who were going for it before the 2016 season, weren't going to not sign the best RF available based a guy who may or may not be available after 2018.

[SKO]

Heyward was given a mega-deal (and I try not to hold contracts against dudes, because you should take whatever deal you can get) because he was 26 and expected to be entering his prime and if he doesn't opt out (and at this point he sure as hell won't), they're stuck with him for 6 more years and he'll also probably prevent them from going after guys who could represent substantial upgrades, like Bryce Harper. He was signed on the basis of being an above average offensive player with an elite glove, and he's cratered to a well below average offensive player and is now just a below average player overall. We're also nearing 900 plate appearances of this shit. It's not a slump or a mirage. It appears to just be who he is now, new swing be damned.

Bryce Harper on the Cubs is not now, nor will ever be, anything more than a wet dream. And the Cubs, who were going for it before the 2016 season, weren't going to not sign the best RF available based a guy who may or may not be available after 2018.

Can you explain why it's not realistic? Or wouldn't be if Heyward had opted out, etc. What makes you think the Cubs could not afford to pay him the same mega contract Boston or New York could offer. If they can't, shouldn't we ask why?

Also I'm not saying the Cubs shouldn't have signed Heyward when they did. It was the right move. Heyward needed to hit though, so he could either A) Opt out or B) Be, I dunno, fuckin useful if he stayed.

[Quality Start Machine]

Can you explain why it's not realistic? Or wouldn't be if Heyward had opted out, etc. What makes you think the Cubs could not afford to pay him the same mega contract Boston or New York could offer. If they can't, shouldn't we ask why?

Also I'm not saying the Cubs shouldn't have signed Heyward when they did. It was the right move. Heyward needed to hit though, so he could either A) Opt out or B) Be, I dunno, fuckin useful if he stayed.

Why isn't it realiistic? Harper currently makes 21 mildo/year. Put him on the open market, and you're probably looking at something close to 10/300. Which sets the market for Bryant. So the Cubs could have $600 million committed to two guys, then what happens when Rizzo comes due? You are basically looking at the Angels, who have a half billion wrapped up in Pujols and Trout.