Chicago Cubs Were Right to Bench Jason Heyward in Game 1
Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon decided to bench his expensive right fielder, Jason Heyward, in the first game of the World Series. Things have certainly changed since the team signed him last offseason.
When Chicago Cubs general manager Theo Epstein decided to sign Jason Heyward to the largest position player contract during last offseason, he expected that he was getting a dynamic hitter and fielder who would bring consistency to a young Cubs lineup. However, the 27-year-old outfielder has not come even close to matching his past production with the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals.
Throughout the regular season, Heyward struggled with injuries and inconsistencies at the plate. He never seemed to go on a prolonged hot streak, which greatly affected his overall statistics in 2016. By the end of the regular season, the former number-one overall prospect had finished with a batting line of .230/.306/.325. He also only hit seven home runs in the 142 games he appeared in.
We know that the right fielder has experienced a decline in power, as he hadn’t hit more than 20 long balls in a season since 2012. But the main difference is that he is no longer getting on base at a high clip. Heyward’s ability to work the count and get on base had been his primarily calling card over the past few years. From 2013-2015, he had never finished with an on-base percentage below .349.
This should make Joe Maddon and the Cubs front office nervous as he posted the lowest on-base percentage of his career in 2016. His glove and his paycheck were the only things keeping him in the lineup throughout the regular season, but when it comes to the World Series, Maddon has clearly made the decision that his right fielder was too much of a liability to give him three or four at bats every game.
In a slightly surprising move, Joe Maddon decided to bench his expensive free agent acquisition for Chris Coghlan, who was primarily a bench player for most of the year. This move doesn’t come completely out of left field as we did see Maddon bench Heyward in the NLCS. It’s also a decision that is probably best for the Cubs at this point.
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During this postseason, Heyward is 2-for-30 (.067) at the plate. This wouldn’t be as big of a concern if he produced this normal batting numbers during the regular season, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Heyward was shielded during the regular season because of the incredible talent around him, but during the playoffs, when every at bat matters, Maddon is making the right choice by benching what was supposed to be a centerpiece for the Cubs.
In addition, Chicago has other players that could play in place of Heyward. Coghlan, Jorge Soler and Willson Contreras have all played the outfield and have all hit better than Heyward throughout the regular season. Don’t expect the recently returned Kyle Schwarber to play in the outfield during the World Series, but there are still better options available for the Cubs skipper.
For all the great moves that Theo Epstein has made during his time in Chicago, he just has to accept that Heyward is a lost cause as of right now. Joe Maddon certainly recognizes that he has better options available. Hopefully Heyward can get back to being himself in 2017. Just don’t expect to see a lot of him during the remainder of the World Series.
Next: Red Sox Offseason To-Do List
Do you think that Heyward should be starting for the Cubs in the World Series? Let us know in the comment section below.