All Eyes on Heyward

MLB Rookie Watch Alert! - One of the league's top rookie stand-outs heading into Spring Training this season, was the Atlanta Braves number one prospect -- Jason Heyward. Selected 14th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Braves, Heyward has been a player many have anticipated and have been on the look out for, for quite some time given his bright talent and lightning fast bat-speed. Those who follow prospects were already aware of his ability, but for those who still weren't familiar with the name 'Jason Heyward' were given a brief wake-up call when highlights of a 450-foot blast during a spring training exhibition game were shown all over ESPN and the rest of the world of sports. But although he made his presence known during Spring Training, the question of whether or not he could transcend his game to the regular season was soon answered.

After Braves skipper Bobby Cox gave news of his young outfielder making the Opening Day roster, Heyward needed only one at-bat to introduce himself to the big league's. In the first inning of the the Braves 2010 season opener against the Chicago Cubs, Heyward hit a 3-run homer off of Chicago's Carlos Zambrano. The long ball traveled an estimated 476 ft and ignited a roar throughout the crowd in Atlanta's Turner Field. Although a home-run in your first ever big league at-bat could be a memory for the ages, it could also be a backfire as fans can often tend to expect a long ball out of you every at-bat. With less than 2-weeks of big league experience under his belt, Heyward has already been compared to the great Hank Aaron and already dons the nickname "The Jay Hey Kid", similar to the great Willie Mays' nickname "The Say Hey Kid."

Being compared to someone like Hank Aaron in your first big league season could put quite the pressure on someone as young as Heyward is, not to mention in their first few games. But granted he's only 20 years old, Heyward has plenty of time to fill the shoes of some of the best players the game has ever seen. And with both 22-year old Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds and 21-year old Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals starting the 2010 season in the Minor Leagues, all eyes are on Heyward at the moment for the Rookie of the Year Award. But don't be surprised if and when both young hurlers get the call up to play with the big boys, as they hope to make R.O.T.Y cases for themselves and give golden boy Jayson Heyward a run for his money.