'Say Heyward Kid' Brightens Braves' Playoff Chances

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The future of the Atlanta Braves may rest in the emergency netting that was installed behind the right field fence at Champions Stadium the last week of February.

It seems that non-roster outfielder Jason Heyward isn't about to be confined by the limits of the stadium. The home runs off his bat in batting practice routinely sailed out of the stadium and landed in the employees' parking lot.

Windows and sunroofs have been cracked and bodywork has been dented. Assistant general manager Bruce Manno's car was hit twice, leading Braves' traveling secretary Bill Acree to jokingly suggest to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that either Heyward had to be traded or the parking lot had to be moved.

---

---

The netting cut down most of the damage, but the fact is that the Braves, whose 40-man roster may be one hitter short, could have their man in the Say Heyward Kid, who went from Single-A to Triple-A last year and who is listed by several outlets as the No. 1 major league prospect coming into this season.

Get ready for Opening Day as FanHouse breaks down all 30 teams in March to the Season Washington Nationals | Primer Pittsburgh Pirates | Primer Baltimore Orioles | Primer Kansas City Royals | Primer Cleveland Indians | Primer New York Mets | Primer Houston Astros | Primer San Diego Padres | Primer Oakland Athletics | Primer Toronto Blue Jays | Primer Cincinnati Reds | Primer Chicago White Sox | Primer Milwaukee Brewers | Primer Chicago Cubs | Primer Arizona Diamondbacks | Primer Tampa Bay Rays | Primer Seattle Mariners | Primer Detroit Tigers | Primer Atlanta Braves | Primer Minnesota Twins | Primer Texas Rangers | Primer Florida Marlins | Primer San Francisco Giants | Primer St. Louis Cardinals | Primer Colorado Rockies | Primer Philadelphia Phillies | Primer Los Angeles Dodgers | Primer Boston Red Sox | Primer L.A. Angels of Anaheim | Primer New York Yankees | Primer

Manager Bobby Cox said Heyward could wind up as the club's Opening Day right fielder -- and that was before spring training games started.

Heyward, who would be 20 on Opening Day, is the first to point out that "it's just baseball," and he clearly isn't making himself crazy in his second big league camp.

And general manager Frank Wren plays it coy, saying it won't just be performance that would win Heyward a job, but if "it's the best thing for him and the organization."

The best thing for the organization would seem to be a much-improved offense, and while free agent addition Troy Glaus should add significant muscle, Heyward might be the man who could level the playing field in the National League East, even if he has only 50 games of experience above Class-A ball.

And now more than ever, the Braves could use that kind of injection. Cox has already said this is his last year. The Braves, out of the playoffs the last four years after 11 consecutive division titles, would like nothing better than to send him out a winner.

One thing Cox has made clear is that he doesn't want any kind of farewell tour in 2010 as he enters his final season.

Yeah. Good luck with that.

It's hard to see how Cox, one of the most respected managers in the game and the owner of 2,413 victories, five pennants and one World Series, will just go away quietly into the night.

That would be his preference, but baseball will certainly want to celebrate Cox's career, particularly if the Braves can eke out 87 wins. Not only would that total put Atlanta in position to return to the postseason, but Cox would become the just the fourth major league manager to get to 2,500 wins.

The kind of celebration Cox could really get behind would be one that sees the club play deep into October. There was a time when that would seem like a given -- a stretch of 14 East titles under Cox in 15 years.

Now, not so much. The Braves haven't finished above third in the East in the last four seasons and the East now belongs to the Phillies, who have played in the World Series the last two seasons.

If that's going to change, the Braves will need much more offense than they generated last year when they finished third in the East in runs scored, 85 behind the Phillies.

Heyward is one hope to fuel the offense. Glaus is another. But Glaus has been hurt as much as he's been healthy the last few years and has played more than 115 games just three times in the last seven seasons. He had just 29 at-bats last year and was mostly a cheerleader for the Cardinals while he mended.

In the three years (2006, 2006 and 2008) when he has played 149 or more games, however, he's been lethal -- 102 homers and 300 RBI. If he's healthy, his presence would be a huge addition.

"I'm not hurt now, and that's everything to me," Glaus told FanHouse. "I want to play as many games as possible. If so, I know I'll be able to produce."

Those games will have to be at first base, which will be a change of a substantial nature for Glaus, a third baseman by trade who has only a handful of games at first base on his resume.

Cox doesn't see that as an issue. And third base is comfortably covered, as always, by 37-year-old Chipper Jones..

"If anybody can convert (from third base), he can," Cox said of Glaus. "He's always had great hands."

That production, if it's forthcoming, might well be enough to get the Braves back into contention, given the club's defense and pitching. Historically, Atlanta has generally had great arms, and that trend seems positioned to continue this time around. However, there are major questions that only time can answer.

Starter Tim Hudson was limited to just seven games last year as he recovered from Tommy John-style ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow. And Billy Wagner, the closer signed to shore up the back of a stripped-down bullpen that lost Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, also is coming off Tommy John surgery.

Both men had surgery in the final six weeks of the 2008 season and both made it back for a spot showing last year. The 2010 season will be the real test, with the reconstructed arms having to hold up to repeated and prolonged use.

Hudson could, in fact, wind up being the Opening Day starter -- if he shows enough in his final few appearances this spring. If not, 24-year-old Jair Jurrjens (14-10 in his second full season last year), is the likely candidate. To give the rotation depth there's a 15-game winner in Derek Lowe and another promising 24-year-old, 11-game winner Tommy Hanson.

Cox has little doubt that Hudson will make it all the way back this year, saying "he was an ace before, and he'll be an ace again."

And despite the defections in the bullpen, there are relatively few jobs open and Wren and Cox both say that the depth is greater now than a year ago with the addition of Wagner, who comes into the season ranked sixth on the all-time saves list.

"We've got more this year, we really do," Cox said. "We've got quite a bit. Whoever makes [the team] is going to be strong. The good thing is, they all have options, so we're not going to have that predicament."

The only predicament now would be making the call on Heyward.

And that may not be a tough call at all.