Heyward comes from a great family. He is respectful, works hard, and receives instruction with meekness. Both parents went to Dartmouth.

He is just a terrific young man—articulate and well mannered. He is the real deal on the field and off the field.

"I was brought up by parents who taught me to treat everyone with respect, to treat them the way I want to be treated. It's a simple way to go about life, but my parents taught me that from an early age," Jason said.

Jason was born in Bridgewood, New Jersey. The family moved to the Atlanta suburb of McDonough in November 1991, just weeks after the Braves' "worst to first" season ended against the Twins in the World Series.

By the age of 10, Jason was telling his parents he wanted to play professional baseball.

"A lot of kids say that," said his mother, Laura, a quality control analyst. "By the time they're 12, they want to do something different. It never changed with him."

Laura was raised in Queens, N.Y. Eugene was born into a military family in Beaufort, S.C., and when his parents divorced, they sent him to Los Angeles to live with his uncle and attend a private school. That uncle was Kenny Washington, who was the sixth man on the 1963-1964 and 1964-1965 UCLA national championship basketball teams, John Wooden's first two championship teams.

"I was able to spend a lot of free time at Pauley Pavilion, working out, playing with Kareem and Marquis Johnson and guys like that," the elder Heyward said. "It was fantastic. Dartmouth recruited me, and I was really excited, and was able to go back East so I could visit my father." 

In 1988, when he was just 8 years old, Heyward helped lead his McDonough, Georgia Dodgers to an AABC Roberto Clemente World Series Championship.

Jason spent the summers of 2005 and 2006 playing on the highly regarded East Cobb travel team. Teammates included future first round draft choices Josh Smoker (Nats, 2007) and Cody Johnson (Braves, 2006).

Jason always said yes, and Eugene would remind his son to ask himself every day: "Am I who I want to be?"

In 2007, Heyward's senior year at Henry County High School in McDonough, Georgia, he committed to a scholarship to UCLA. But he ended up being drafted by his hometown Braves.

"Getting drafted and having the chance to play for my hometown team is a dream come true,” said the five-tool outfielder from McDonough, Georgia, which is less than 30 minutes south of Turner Field. “When I heard them call my name, I was in awe. It was unbelievable.”

In 2006, Jason led his team to a Georgia Class 4-A baseball championship. In his four years at Henry County High, Heyward never missed a single game. In 2007, he hit .520 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs as a senior.

In 2007, Jason got drafted by the Braves (see Transactions below). 

In 2008, Baseball America rated Heyward as second best prospect in the Braves' organization, behind only OF Jordan Schafer. The book had Jason at #2 in the Braves' farm system again in the winter before 2009 spring training, behind RHP Tommy Hanson.

And in the winter before 2010 spring training, Baseball America Heyward as #1 prospect in the Braves' organization.

Jason has really good baseball instincts. And he has tremendous athleticism.

Heyward comes from an athletic family. His father played basketball at Dartmouth. And his uncle took the hardwoods at UCLA under head coach John Wooden.

Both his Mom, Laura, and his Dad, Eugene, graduated from Dartmouth.

Jason is a real professional, both on and off the field. He sets goals and doesn't let anything stop him from achieving them. He has a real good head on his shoulders.

He is quiet, going about his business the same way every day. Nothing upsets him. He likes to work at the game and is very professional in the way he goes about it. Even in batting practice, Heyward isn't out there trying to impress anybody. He's working on using his hands and driving the ball to the opposite field.

In 2009, Heyward was named by Baseball America the Minor League Player of the Year. And also the #1 prospect in both the Carolina League and the Southern League.  

Heyward became the first Braves prospect to earn this honor since Andruw Jones in 1995 and 1996.

During Spring Training in 2010, Heyward hit two notable batting practice home runs. One hit and damaged a Coca-Cola truck in the parking lot, and another broke the sunroof of Atlanta Braves' assistant GM Bruce Manno's car in the same lot.

In 2010, as Heyward began his first Major League season, he selected uniform No. 22 to honor the memory of his former high school teammate, Andrew Wilmot. Jason and Andrew played on the 2005 Georgia high school state baseball championship winning team. The following year Wilmot, while attending college in Tennessee, was killed in a car accident.

Jason has massive hands. If you shake hands with him, your hand disappears. He has broad shoulders, thick arms, and a thin waist.

In 2010, Jason became the second-youngest Major Leaguer to ever be elected to start an All-Star Game.

Heyward's offseason workout program leading up to 2012 spring training gave him a lot of confidence. Jason's workouts started two weeks after the season ended. They started with 8:00 a.m. wake-up calls five days a week, as opposed to just Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as in the past.

He did physical therapy to build strength in his shoulder twice a week, workouts with weights at the gym three times a week and for the first time he started a regular routine of running and cardio-work.

He made an effort to slim down, dropping from 256 pounds entering 2011 spring camp to 235 at the start of 2012 spring training. He was eating fewer steaks and junk food and adding fruits and healthy snacks to meals of salads, fish, chicken, or pasta.

"If he keeps going about his business the way he's going about it, it makes for special careers and special people," Braves hitting coach Greg Walker said. "You get guys who are talented and have a special will to win. He has it. Even for that type of player, the game is not easy. It's not easy for anybody. He competes, has a will to win, and wants to be great."

"I was taught you need to earn everything you have," Heyward said. "When something gets hard and you get a little adversity, you overcome it. If in a game you felt you got cheated or something, my dad would say, 'Well, be better next time and beat them.' You try and do everything you possibly can to do well. After that, you can't control it."

Instead of moping or being soured by the fact that Braves general manager Frank Wren said Heyward was not guaranteed a starting job the following season, he entered that offseason before 2013 Spring Training determined to make the necessary changes. Heyward committed himself to a rigid conditioning program that made him leaner and allowed himself to be open to the adjustments Walker suggested when he began his current role between the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

"He has a will to be great," Walker said. "He doesn't want to be a good player. You run across players that want to be good and want to win. But he has a will to be as good as he can be."

While Heyward might not openly show his intensity by throwing helmets or breaking bats over his knees, he does so while consistently running out ground balls and aggressively breaking up double-play attempts.

"He goes out and competes as hard as anybody I've ever been around," Walker said. "The one thing that separates him from most people who aren't in the clubhouse or the dugout is how hard he competes. He is a gifted player that wants to be a winning player. His game is evolving, but he competes every day and he has a will to win."

Somewhere in the process, Heyward also has the desire to separate himself from the elite of the elite.

"I want to be great," Heyward said. "I don't want to settle for mediocrity. I know that comes with time and patience."  (Mark Bowman - mlb.com - 8/19/2013)

Along with being blessed with tremendous athleticism, Jason has endeared himself to fans with the all-out effort he brings to the stadium on a daily basis. His insatiable desire to compete has put the Braves right fielder in a position to receive a respectable and deserving honor.

Heyward has been selected by the Major League Players Alumni Association as the Braves' representative for this year's Heart and Hustle Award. This award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players. (7/22/2014)

Heyward didn't make the request, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny didn't feel he needed to wait for one. What better way to welcome Heyward into the organization, Matheny thought, than to initiate a potential jersey swap himself.

Matheny and Heyward both have deep-rooted connections to the No. 22. It's the only number Heyward had ever worn as a Major Leaguer and, aside from brief stints with numbers 15 and 44, the one Matheny had donned as both a player and manager. The number also plays prominently in the non-profit organization Matheny started in 2003, the Catch Twenty-Two Foundation, which has helped build handicapped-accessible baseball fields in three St. Louis-area cities.

Heyward's connection to No. 22 goes back to his days on the Henry County High School baseball team in Georgia, where he played alongside catcher Andrew Wilmot, who wore No. 22. While attending college, Wilmot was killed in a car accident in 2007. As a gesture to his late friend's family, Heyward asked the Braves for No. 22 when he was added to the roster before the 2010 season.

He has worn that number to honor and remember Wilmot ever since. Wilmot's mother, Tammie Ruston, who was also Heyward's high school literature teacher senior year, was in the right-field stands to see Heyward debut with that number. (Jenifer Langosch)

Heyward’s supporters portray him as incredibly unselfish with a multitude of intangibles and no diminishing skills. Zach John Savage, who has coached three teams to the College World Series (including a 2013 title) in his last six seasons at UCLA, quickly noticed Heyward’s professional demeanor in separate visits to Heyward’s hometown in McDonough, Ga., and during lunch in Malibu, California, during a recruiting visit in 2006.

 “He was way beyond his years, physically and mentally,” Savage recalled. “People treated him with respect and looked up to him. He made people around him better.” (Mark Gonzales/2015)

2016 Spring Training: Joe Maddon remembers when players would sit around the clubhouse with a bucket of long necks to talk about the game. These days, they're at the juice bar. And this spring, the Cubs players are finding out just how knowledgeable new outfielder Jason Heyward is.

"He's really smart," Anthony Rizzo said. "A lot of things we talk about, not a lot of guys in this clubhouse or in the game talk about. He's very advanced with everything. He sees everything, he watches everything, he pays attention to everything, which in my opinion is not easy to do."

The Cubs' collective baseball IQ should get a boost from Heyward.

"He's five steps ahead of the game," said Rizzo. "We were talking, and I'm like, 'Wow, you think like that, too?' He anticipates moves off the bench, why would you throw this guy that pitch in this situation. It's little things that an outsider would never think about."

Maddon noticed it when watching Heyward from afar.

"He can beat you in a five-tool way on a nightly basis, whether it's running, whether it's throwing, whether it's defense, whether it's hitting, or hitting with power, and the sixth tool, just the way he thinks," Maddon said. "He's the complete baseball player." (Carrie Muskat - MLB.com. - February 22, 2016)

What does it take to win a world championship? A lot of work. Years of dedication. And for Jason Heyward and Dexter Fowler, it meant hours and hours with hitting trainer CJ Stewart. Heyward and Fowler just helped the Chicago Cubs break the curse and win their first World Series since 1908. Stewart sat down with 11Alive's Blayne Alexander to find out what it took to get the two players where they are today.

"I started training Jason when he was 14, but I was first aware of him at 10 years old," Stewart said. "I remember watching some of my other kids play, and there was this tall kid—he was taller than everybody—he was left handed and had this level of passion."

Trainer CJ Stewart with Diamond Directors is known for turning baseball dreamers into Major League players. Dexter came to him first, at age 14. A few years later, Stewart started training Jason. From the beginning, he says, the two were laser focused.

"I remember (Jason) telling me, 'Coach CJ, I've discovered from my house to this training facility, the halfway point is Turner Field. I want to hit a home run at Turner Field by the age of 21,'" Stewart recalled, adding that Heyward was only 14 years old at the time.

Turns out, he got the chance even earlier: Heyward was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2007. Three years later, at age 20, during the first game of his major league career, Heyward hit a home run his first time at bat. Week after week, Stewart worked with Heyward and Fowler on their hitting technique. But he said during the nail-biter game 7 of the World Series, he couldn't even stand to watch.

"I went to bed," Stewart said. "I couldn't handle it! I knew when I woke up, one team would be the winner."

For Stewart, it turned out to be the right team, and a deeply satisfying win. As a child growing up in northwest Atlanta, Stewart was a die-hard Cubs fan. And during his own MLB career, he spent two years as a Chicago Cub. But it wasn't the history making win or even the years spent polishing the young players that endeared Stewart to Heyward and Fowler. It's the stories we don't hear—like Heyward's Christmas gift for Stewart's L.E.A.D. Ambassadors, a group of at-risk young men Stewart mentors through baseball.

"We literally shut down Foot Locker and he bought a pair of shoes for every ambassador, we're talking close to 25 young men," Stewart remembered. "Jason was 18 years old. He had just been drafted by the Braves."

Years later, when Heyward and Fowler celebrated their World Series win, Stewart received texts from some of those young men. "They said 'We did it, coach. We won,'" Stewart said. A reminder of the lasting impact the players had left on the young boys. And part of what makes their big win even sweeter.

"I know it's gonna provide a platform for both Jason and Dexter to empower others the way they've been empowered," he said. (Blayne Alexander - WXIA - November 2016)

March 18, 2020: - A group of Cubs past and present are doing their part to assist those in need during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Outfielder Jason Heyward is the latest to step up, focusing on families impacted by the virus. Heyward's agency, Excel Sports Management, announced that the outfielder has made a $200,000 donation to a pair of Chicago-based charities. Heyward sent $100,000 to MASK Chicago, which is collecting supplies and meals for affected families, and another $100,000 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

This comes while Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo -- through his foundation -- has been providing daily warm meals for the nursing staff at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The hospital is one of the top pediatric providers in the United States, and the food being provided by the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation is coming from Chicago-area restaurants.

Major League Baseball's 30 teams are also stepping up to help the thousands of seasonal ballpark employees who depend on games for their income. Every team is donating $1 million to help the cause. (J Bastian - MLB.com - March 18, 2020)

June 5, 2020: They split into discussion groups. Teenagers from Chicago's Austin neighborhood stood alongside athletes representing one of Chicago's professional teams, with at least one member of the Chicago Police Department present, too.

Former Bears player Sam Acho helped organize the gathering, which included Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward and infielder Jason Kipnis. The event -- which followed proper CDC, state and local safe practice and distancing guidelines -- was held at the By The Hand club in Austin on Chicago's West Side. Given the national unrest and protests in the days since the killing of George Floyd while being detained by Minneapolis police officers, this was an opportunity for important dialogue in the name of change.

"The beginning of it is people being willing to listen," Heyward said in an interview on ESPN 1000 in Chicago this week.

Besides Heyward and Kipnis, other Chicago athletes on hand included Mitch Trubisky and Allen Robinson of the Bears, Jonathan Toews and Malcolm Subban of the Blackhawks, and Ryan Arcidiacono and Max Strus of the Bulls. By The Hand Club For Kids, BUILD Chicago and Westside Health Authority each had leaders from their organizations on hand, too.

When they broke off into small groups, it allowed the black teens to speak directly to police officers about their concerns and questions, and gave the athletes a chance to give their input or share their own experiences.

Following the small-group conversations, the athletes boarded a bus and took a tour of the Austin neighborhood to survey some of the damage caused by unrest in recent days. Illinois congressman Danny K. Davis and alderman Emma Mitts also took part in the special outreach event.

During his radio interview on "Waddle & Silvy," Heyward was asked for his reaction to the events that have unfolded over the past week around the United States following Floyd's death.

"It feels like a broken record and we're watching a rerun," Heyward said. "I feel like these things continue to happen over and over and over again. And you have people continuously and helplessly trying to find a solution."

Heyward -- who grew up in McDonough, Georgia, outside Atlanta -- spoke of how his father warned him at an early age about being treated unfairly based on the color of his skin. Heyward said he experienced hateful language while coming up through the Minor Leagues and still encounters it from time to time as a big leaguer.

"I can't say that I don't see it in places," Heyward said. "I won't single out any places that I do, because to me, that's not important. But, it still does exist and I think that's the message that needs to be put out there. A lot of us still deal with that on a daily basis.

"This one is just - as we can see right now, the reason we're having this discussion - this one is on a bigger scale because there's a lot of destruction going on right now that is being based off some of the actions and hatred.

"Everyone has different views and different concerns," Heyward said. "Every ethnicity, race, gender, all these things, people have their own struggles, man. But, I think at the end of the day, right now, we're seeing a lot of conversation about this that we've seen before, but I think it's being spread a little faster through social media." (J Bastian - MLB.com - June 5, 2020)

Aug 11, 2021:  The overgrown lot off North Laramie Avenue, situated near Grace+Peace Church in Chicago's Austin neighborhood, had growing puddles across the gravel as rain fell.

The organizers of the day's groundbreaking ceremony -- one for a 10-acre campus with professional-level sports facilities and an education center -- scrambled to move things indoors."We've had plenty of storms," said Donnita Travis, the founder and executive director of By The Hand Club for Kids. "Storms don't get in our way."

Travis was referring not just to the elements, but to the challenges faced on Chicago's West Side and along the road to this day. With the help of a donation by Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, along with the assistance of the Chicago Fire Foundation, Intentional Sports and other parties, a vision was becoming reality.

In the heart of an area most Chicagoans know for its crime rates, a massive youth center was being born. By The Hand will have a club serving more than 400 students on the site. The complex is expected to serve more than 25,000 people annually through sports, education and wellness programs. And the 150,000-plus-square-foot facility will include the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy."To be able to bring something like this to this city, it's huge," said Heyward, whose parents and wife were in attendance for the ceremony.

"Any inch you give us in this city, we take it and we can do so many special things. "I just can't wait to see what the future looks like for some of the kids that I've already had a chance to talk to." Heyward already has a history with the By The Hand Club for Kids, having worked with the organization in 2020 as part of a group that brought an open-air market to life in Austin. The Austin Harvest is run by youth from By The Hand and provides much-needed groceries to a neighborhood lacking in resources.

Heyward will now play a role in shaping the programming at the new facility's baseball programming. As part of the event, Heyward caught a ceremonial first pitch from a young ballplayer from By The Hand's Columbus Park team, which recently won a league title. (J Bastian - MLB.com - Aug 11, 2021) 

2022 Season: Heyward hit just .204 in his final season with the team. He was limited to 48 games due to a knee injury.

Nov 14, 2022: - Sitting inside an interview room at Wrigley Field in late September, wearing a Cubs uniform for one of the final times, veteran outfielder Jason Heyward was asked if he could somehow put into words his tenure with the ballclub.

"A lot of history being broken. A lot of winning," Heyward said. "What a ride for this city, for this fanbase. And the love that I've received, the love that we've received -- the guys that were part of those groups -- is never taken for granted."

Prior to a 2-0 win over the Phillies on Sept. 29, Heyward met with reporters for the first time since president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer announced in early August that the Cubs would be parting ways with the outfielder after this season. Heyward was formally released on Monday, giving him a chance to pursue a job elsewhere and allowing Chicago to further turn the page to a new era.

Given his wealth of experience in the game, the 33-year-old Heyward said he was not surprised by the team's decision. The writing was on the wall as the Cubs prioritized evaluating younger players. Heyward praised Hoyer for how "real" he was throughout the situation, and the outfielder hopes to prove to a new team that he can still be a part of a contender in 2023.(J Bastian - MLB.com - Sept 14, 2022)

Jason Heyward’s career lifeline comes with a reminder of where it all began.

Heyward met Freddie Freeman when they were teenagers, back when the two were prominent high school players from opposite ends of the country who just clicked. This winter, as he sought to resurrect his career, Heyward reconnected with Freeman.

The 33-year-old former All-Star stopped at Freeman’s home in Newport Beach and stayed there for a week in January, working out with his old buddy and hitting flips at El Modena High School in Orange with Freeman’s dad, Fred, who Heyward calls “Papa Free.”

It was like old times.

For Freeman and Heyward, the bond goes back more than half their lifetimes. They were just 16 years old in 2006 when both players — Freeman, a lanky first baseman from Orange County, and Heyward, a powerful and quick outfielder from Georgia — earned a bid to a national All-American game in San Diego. Each was primed to enter their senior year of high school with expectations of being early picks in the following summer’s MLB Draft.

Despite being on opposite sides that day, “we drew to each other,” Freeman said. “We just became instant friends.”

A year later, they headlined Atlanta’s 2007 draft class, with the organization taking Heyward in the first round (14th overall) and adding Freeman in the second (78th). They didn’t spend much time apart after that, pushing each quickly through the minor leagues to extract the most out of the final legs of the organization’s extreme run of success in the 1990s and 2000s.

“When you are with someone who is like-minded in your goals and aspects of life and your outlook, I think that’s why we became so close,” Freeman said. “We just had the same passion for everything in life. You just get attached to each other’s hips and just go.”

They roomed together on the road. Lived together in A ball in Rome, Georgia, and again in High A in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the two 6-foot-5 prospects took turns on long bus rides laying on a pool floatie in the aisles to stretch out their legs before scrunching in together into the same set of seats. Despite their large frames, they insisted on sitting next to each other.

“The craziest thing is the two biggest guys sitting on a bus together for 12 straight hours,” Freeman said. “But that’s what we wanted to do, was be right next to each other.”

That connection lasted throughout the minors as the two continued to shoot up through the Braves system. They got called up to Double A together on the same day in 2009, played in the Arizona Fall League together that same year and would earn their first invites to major-league spring training together shortly thereafter. Their friendship was clear, drawing the attention of the likes of franchise stalwarts such as Chipper Jones.

“God dang,” Jones would tell them, according to Freeman. “You guys are always together!”

Together for breakfast, for dinner, and sometimes both in only the finest of small-town fare.

“Sometimes,” Freeman said with a chuckle, “you’d eat breakfast at Waffle House and you’d eat dinner at Waffle House.”

“They were like brothers from the get-go,” Greg Walker, Atlanta’s hitting coach from 2012-14, recalled recently by phone.

“I love him to death,” Heyward said.

With Heyward a year away from free agency and Atlanta’s window closing, they made a decision. Freeman got a nine-figure contract extension in February 2014, locking him into the club’s future even during a time of transition. Heyward would get traded that November to St. Louis, a deal Freeman still calls “devastating.” 

Years after being the top prospect in the sport and one of the faces of a youth movement in Atlanta, and following an unceremonious exit from Chicago after being one of the last men standing from what was supposed to be a dynasty, Heyward was still fighting.

But even he had to acknowledge the reality.

“Being real,” Heyward admitted, “I didn’t know if anybody was going to call.”

Heyward signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers, which included an invite to big-league camp. If he makes the club, the Dodgers will only have to pay him the league minimum as the Cubs continue to pay out the rest of Heyward’s deal.

He came with the strong recommendation of his old friend. Freeman’s relationship with Heyward predates when each was selected as part of the same Atlanta draft class 16 years ago. So when president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman evaluated players available in the offseason outfield market, Freeman touted Heyward’s value in the clubhouse and the upside that still feels tangible. Freeman’s sales pitch started as early as August when the Cubs announced they wouldn’t be bringing Heyward back. 

After showing up so early, Heyward spotted his locker, pulled out his phone and recorded a video. He sent it to his oldest friend in baseball, the man who had long been pushing for Heyward to join the Dodgers. Now, Heyward and Freeman have been inseparable since camp opened. Their years of history together are palpable in the batting cage, in drills and even when one expresses faux outrage when the other opts for a different catch partner that day.

“This is as happy as you can get, for me,” said Freeman, nodding over to Heyward’s locker next to him.

“We’re just making the most of our time,” Heyward said. (Ardaya - Feb 24, 2023 - The Athletic)

After hearing the news he’d spent his life waiting for, James Outman got an added surprise. The Dodgers rookie had more than just impressed in spring training, he had ridden a brilliant March to force his way into the club’s Opening Day plans.

When the 25-year-old walked into the clubhouse of the club’s spring training facility the day after finding out he’d made the roster, Outman spotted a green bag at his locker. It didn’t have a note. Inside was a black leather Bottega Veneta bag valued in the four figures. Outman spun his head around to find the gift’s origins and was quickly pointed to an adjoining room. Inside, he found Jason Heyward — the former top prospect, All-Star, marquee acquisition who only months ago wondered if he’d ever get another phone call from a big-league club. 

Heyward himself didn’t have a guarantee he’d make the majors, with the Dodgers giving the 33-year-old only a non-roster invite to camp. If anything, at the outset, Heyward and Outman were vying for a similar spot on the roster.

But Heyward wanted the kid to soak it in.

“It’s your first Opening Day,” Heyward said he told Outman. “You’re never going to forget it. I just wanted him to have something to really remember, so then for the next guy who comes along, for them when it’s their turn, they’ll be able to give someone that kind of positivity.”

“He didn’t have to,” Outman said, “and he just passed on his experience.” 

These are the experiences that have defined Heyward’s reputation more than the prospect hype, more than the $184 million deal he signed in free agency, more than the speech he delivered during a rain delay in Cleveland that helped the Cubs win their first World Series in more than a century. This is what left him highly regarded even after his struggles, from the highs to the lows of a career that’s seen everything. “The mental aspect of this and this lifestyle are very tough,” Heyward said. “Family is tough, things you’ve gotta miss out on, whether it’s kids or your mom and pops, grandparents, like whatever. Only we can relate to us as well as we can.” 

Even Anthony Rizzo, a vestige of that title-winning Cubs team now playing elsewhere, borrowed a chapter from Heyward’s book during his time with the Yankees. This Opening Day, each of Rizzo’s Yankees teammates walked into the clubhouse to find bottles of wine in their lockers, a tradition he credited Heyward for showing him.

Heyward did the same with the Dodgers, gifting each of his teammates a 2020 bottle of cabernet sauvignon from Caymus Vineyards to commemorate the coming season and their journey together that, to use Heyward’s metaphor, would age like wine.

The outfielder wound up making the club and has gotten off to a promising start (a .819 OPS in 35 plate appearances). He views his generosity as passing down what had been done for him. 

Like Outman, Heyward rode a hot spring to make Atlanta’s Opening Day roster in 2010. So, on the team’s first road trip to San Diego, right-hander Jair Jurrgens grabbed the young outfielder and took him to Fashion Valley — a popular, upscale mall in San Diego — and bought him a bag.

“He didn’t have to do that,” Heyward said. But he took note that he did. 

The next year, when Freeman made his first Opening Day roster, infielder Dan Uggla took him out and bought him a new suit to help him comply with the organization’s mandate of wearing suits on road trips (a tradition Freeman kept all the way through to his first day with the Dodgers, when he showed up in a tailored suit and Louboutins). What has been something of an unspoken tradition already has its tentacles in Los Angeles — after Tony Gonsolin made his first All-Star team last summer, he found a custom-tailored suit in his locker from Clayton Kershaw the next week.

Heyward didn’t wait to be on the big-league roster before passing on some of the traditions with his new club. It took just a few winter workouts at Dodger Stadium before he was taking the likes of Gavin Lux and Miguel Vargas out to lunch. Once spring started, he was frequently spotted by Outman’s side. After one spring game in Scottsdale, Heyward was observed in the dugout with Vargas, deep in conversation well after the veteran had been removed from the game.

“He’s super highly respected in the clubhouse,” Outman said of Heyward. “So when he gives the respect back, you feel like you’re part of the team.”

“Just wanted to allow guys to feel comfortable in their own skin, realize how important that is just to stick with what they know and just building on that,” Heyward said. “Because it’s very easy to get pulled in a bunch of different directions.

“I think you get what you give, in a sense. I don’t really speak on something unless I’m trying to help someone. I don’t just speak to be heard, right? Because I can relate to someone, I will just try to give them comfort in that situation, just reaffirmations like, ‘You’re good. Don’t stress this. Keep buying into you.’ Those kinds of things. Because that’s a part of it.”

It’s what creates, as Freeman put it, “a culture of caring.” If he or Heyward shows they are in someone’s corner, that translates back to them, and then to everyone else on the roster. That continued even when they weren’t teammates, with Freeman admitting he’d root for Heyward to get a hit every single time from his post at first base. It’s why Roberts said he’d always wanted to share a clubhouse with Heyward and called upon him to speak to the club ahead of the team’s Jackie Robinson Day celebration at Dodger Stadium last week. His reputation had preceded him. (Ardaya - Apr 20, 2023 - The Athletic)

TRANSACTIONS

June 2007: The Braves drafted Jason in the first round, out of Henry County High School in McDonough, Georgia. In August, he signed with scout Al Goetz for a bonus of $1.7 million.

January 18, 2013: Heyward and the Braves avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.6 million in his first year of arbitration eligibility, a big increase from the $565,000 he made in 2012.

February 4, 2014: Jason and the Braves again avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a two-year, $13.3 million contract. The deal calls for a $1 million signing bonus, and salaries of $4.5 million in 2014 and $7.8 million in 2015.

His 2015 salary would escalate based on a points system for 2014 accomplishments. He gets extra money for 502 plate appearances, an All-Star Game selection, a Gold Glove award, a Silver Slugger award, and finishing in the top 20 in MVP voting. (Editor's note: In 2014, Jason got more than 502 plate appearances and won the Gold Glove.)

November 17, 2014: The Cardinals sent RHP Shelby Miller and RHP Tyrell Jenkins to the Braves, acquiring Heyward and RHP Jordan Walden.

November 2, 2015: Heyward became a free agent. 

December 12, 2015: Heyward and the Cubs agreed on an eight-year, $184 million contract.

Nov 14, 2022: The Cubs released Jason. He hopes to sign with another team,

Dec 8, 2022: The Dodgers organization signed free agent Jason.

Nov 27, 2023: The Dodgers signed Jason to a one-year deal worth $9 million.

Aug 24, 2024: The Dodgers released Jason.

Aug. 27, 2024: The Astros signed Jason.

Oct 31, 2024: Jason chose free agency.

Heyward is the ultimate tools guy. Plus, he also has a very solid feel for the game—which is a rarity to have both superb qualities.

Jason is a fine lefthanded hitter, providing a solid batting average and real good power. He gets real good extension. He has power to all parts of the ballpark, from real good bat speed. And he is willing to use the entire field.

Heyward has very good instincts for all aspects of the game. He works pitchers into a hitter's count, showing an incredible amount of patience—it is amazing how much patience Jason exhibits. He takes great pride in his pitch recognition and plate discipline. His strike zone judgment is uncanny, really.

Jason has a plan every time he steps into the batter's box. He makes adjustments between at-bats.

He has a smooth, short lefthanded stroke and solid hitting mechanics. Comparisons to Willie McCovey and Fred McGriff have been mentioned when talking about Heyward. So has Dave Parker.

Jason has lightning-quick bat speed. His short stroke is a bit unorthodox, but it works real well.

Heyward will max out his ability to hit home runs when he learns to use his hands more efficiently and better recognizes the pitches he can pound.

During instructional league before 2009 spring training, Jason worked with Braves minor league hitting coordinator Leon Roberts.

"He helped Heyward understand how to get some balls elevated,” Braves G.M. Frank Wren said. “Jason really hit a lot of hard line drives (in 2008) and how he could get a little more into it, a little more elevation in some of his swings. And I’m not talking about an uppercut, I’m talking about a little more elevation that would allow his power to start showing.

Jason sees the ball real well out of the pitcher's hand. He can fight any pitch off until he gets one he wants. His discipline is quite impressive.

April 5, 2010: In his first Major League game with his first at bat, first swing, first hit, a 414-foot home run. Jason entered the big leagues with a big fly in the Braves' 16-5 win over the Cubs. Heyward became only the fifth Atlanta player to hit a homer in his first at bat.

"I felt my legs, but I couldn't hear myself think," Heyward said. "It was so loud. You just hear 'rahhhh' and that was cool."

August 9, 2010: Jason became the fourth player in Major League history to hit a home run on his 21st birthday. The other three? Alex Rodriguez, Frank Robinson, and Ted Williams.

Heyward's poor 2011 season was caused by a number of factors. The thumb injury he had in 2010 seemed to lead to some bad habits, and the sore right shoulder that plagued him also seemed to alter his mechanics in a negative manner. He couldn’t extend properly. He couldn’t go down and away against lefthanded pitchers, and batted just .192 against them. Because he couldn’t extend or generate his normal bat speed, Heyward got into the habit of starting too quickly and jumping. His OBP dropped from .393 as a rookie to .319 in 2011.

Jason also struggled to make the necessary adjustments to account for how opposing pitchers were attacking him. Pitchers consistently got him out by pounding him inside. Braves hitting coach Larry Parrish watched Heyward swing at Turner Field before the 2011 season and came away worried about the young outfielder's mechanics. (But Parrish's problem was that he couldn't deliver his message to players and was fired at the end of the season.)

Heyward the Cub!

Perhaps more than any other team, the Cubs, who have plenty of other power hitters, would be quite happy with Heyward's career average of 19 home runs per 162 games.

"The beautiful thing about this is, he doesn't have to hit for more power than he already has to help us win a lot of games, because of what he brings to the table defensively, on the base, and with his on-base skills," Cubs VP Theo Epstein said before 2016 spring training.

"Now, add consistent power production into the mix and you're talking about one of the true elites in the game."

But, the 2016 season was not a good one for Jason. He just could not get around on a fastball. He could still hit breaking pitches, but not heat, no matter the velocity, it seemed.

Jason's overly mechanical swing belied his natural athleticism and led him to make less hard contact than at any other point in his career.

Like many players, the more Heyward struggled in 2016, the more information he was attempting to process at the plate. His swing was off, and then his brain got in the way, causing him to be behind on everything.

So Jason spent the entire offseason in Arizona working with hitting coaches John Mallee and Eric Hinske to retool his hack—lowering his hands, reducing motion in his setup, relaxing and being reactive again.

CHILI DAVIS

February 9, 2018: New Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis wanted to call outfielder Jason Heyward this offseason to introduce himself. But as Davis was scrolling down the alphabetical list of names, he mistakenly linked pitcher Kyle Hendricks' name to Heyward's number. Davis left a message, saying, "Hey, are you ready to work?" "[Hendricks] calls me back and said, 'Yeah, dude, I'm ready to work. I have to work on my offense,'" Davis said, relaying the story with a laugh. "I said, 'This isn't Jason.' [Hendricks] said, 'No, it's Kyle.'"

Davis did connect with Heyward and it probably won't be the last time the coach mixes up the players. He was the Athletics' hitting coach from 2012-2014 and had that job with the Red Sox from 2015-2017. What's key is that Davis gets his message across loud and clear to the Cubs players.

Heyward and Davis have been working out at the Cubs complex in Mesa since before Thanksgiving. "It's been a very easy transition because he played for a long time," Heyward said of Davis, 58, who played 19 seasons in the big leagues. "He switch-hit, he knows how to talk feel and things like that. Sometimes you may not need to talk about a mechanic thing, sometimes you just need to talk about feel or whatever, and it gets you in the right mindset and things fall into place that way. It the end of the day during a season, 162 games, that's what you need more than anything. You can work mechanics, you can work drills all you want, but the mindset going into that drill is important and the mindset going into each game and at-bat is important."

Heyward, 28, has been working out at the complex before camp officially opens, and he's prepared. He has a backpack outfitted with speakers that connect to his phone so he can play his tunes while hitting or doing sprints. The outfielder and Davis initially met once a week, and then twice a week. Albert Almora Jr. and Victor Caratini both moved to the Phoenix area this offseason, so Heyward has had others to train with as well as his younger brother Jacob, 22, who was the Giants' 18th-round pick in the 2016 draft.

Last season, the elder Heyward batted .259, and knew what he wanted to work on in the offseason. He also wanted to get healthy. He was limited to 126 games because of separate injuries to his hands.

"Those aren't the numbers I want," Heyward said of his 2017 stats, "but at the end of the day, going on the [disabled list] twice didn't help me. I know myself as a player, and games played is a big thing for me. When I get my repetition, I can do a lot of good things. I did a lot of good things to help us win on both sides of the ball, but there's more in there because there's more games to be played."

Davis had never talked to Heyward before they finally connected on the phone. "I came here with no expectations," Davis said. "People have called me and said, 'Hey, you've got Jason. Here's what you may want to try.' I didn't even know him. I'm not going to go off your experience with him, I'm going to build my experience with him.

"He's either going to trust me or he's not," Davis said. "He's a great young man. I met his dad, I met his brother. I like what I see. One thing I can tell you with that kid is that from the month and a half, two months plus that I've been around him, he wants to get better and he'll work to get better. That's all I can ask." (C Muskat - MLB.com - February 9, 2018)

As of the start of the 2021 season, Heyward's career Major League stats were: .261 batting average, 150 home runs, and with 601 RBI in 5,067 at-bats.

2024 Season: The Dodgers brought him back on a $9MM contract early last offseason. He was unable to match the previous year’s production. Heyward missed six weeks early in the season rehabbing a lower back injury. He hit fairly well immediately upon his return but suffered a bone bruise in his left knee at the beginning of July. That knocked him out of action for another three weeks. He fell into a slump upon coming back from that injury. The Dodgers designated him for assignment towards the end of August.

Heyward was sitting on a .208/.289/.393 line when the Dodgers cut him. He quickly landed a big league deal with the Astros, where he fared a bit better in a small sample. Heyward hit four homers in 24 games with Houston, posting a .218/.283/.473 slash across 61 trips to the plate. He cracked the playoff roster and got the start in left field for Game 2 of Houston’s Wild Card series loss at the hands of the Tigers.

Between the two teams, Heyward finished the year with a .211/.288/.412 slash over 258 plate appearances. He posted roughly average strikeout and walk rates while showing a bit of power, connecting on 10 homers in around a half-season’s worth of playing time. He hit a lot of ground-balls to the pull side, though, an approach that wasn’t conducive to strong ball in play results. His .226 average on balls in play was a career low; only seven hitters with 250+ plate appearances had a lower BABIP. (Anthony Franco | February 7, 2025 - MLB Trade Rumors)

He displays solid athleticism. He has such good control of his body that he easily makes outstanding diving catches.

GOLD GLOVER

In 2015, Heyward was named the best right fielder in the NL, winning his third Gold Glove.

In 2016, Cubs right fielder Heyward won his fourth Gold Glove award.

In 2017,  Jason won his 5th straight Rawlings Gold Glove award.

A five-time Gold Glove winner, Jason takes pride in his defensive play, and it shows.  

"I just want to work at it," Heyward said. "I just try to know where everybody's going to be on the field. I knew who was hitting, somebody who hits to right field often, know who's running. You always want to think about those things before the play happens and it develops. Expect the worst thing to happen, expect to have to make a diving play, expect the ball to be hit to you. You want to be in every spot."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon appreciates it.

"[Defensive skills] normally don't go away—that doesn't go in a slump," Maddon said. "Ask the pitchers how they feel about it. It's fun to watch and it's contagious."  (Muskat - MLB.com - 4/19/2016)

One of the reasons Heyward has won five Gold Glove Awards (two with the Cubs) is due to his strong left arm. Heyward had six outfield assists in 2019, and has racked up 24 since joining Chicago in '16. Among all Major League outfielders with at least 200 recorded Statcast events tracked last year, he recorded one of 18 throws that topped 100 mph.

Heyward's top throw of 100.3 mph was the hardest-thrown ball by a Cubs fielder in '19, and he registered nine of the 10 hardest throws from the outfield last year for Chicago. Heyward has spent the bulk of his time in right field, but his skills as a defender allow Chicago to also utilize him in center, if needed. That was the Cubs' approach last year after the acquisition of Nick Castellanos. With the current roster construction, Heyward would remain in right field for the Cubs, with Albert Almora Jr. and Ian Happ divvying up the innings in center. -- Jordan Bastian

-April 27-May 2, 2009: Heyward was sidelined for a few games with a hip flexor injury. 

August 2009: Heyward missed time after he bruised his right heel stepping on first base.

October 25, 2009: Jason was sidelined for the rest of the Arizona Fall League with back inflammation, in the area where his hamstring muscle meets his gluteus muscles.

May 14, 2010: Heyward jammed his thumb during a head-first slide. It was still a minor factor heading into 2011 spring training, and it may always be a blip on his radar screen.

"I don't have any pain in it, but I still don't have the full range of motion in it," Heyward said before 2011 spring camp opened. "I still can't bend it anywhere close to where it was before. I don't know if I ever will be able to do that. But I know it's not holding me back from hitting."

June 27-July 14, 2010: Heyward went on the 15-day D.L. with a deep bone bruise. Jason jammed his left thumb sliding head-first into third.

May 20-June 15, 2011: Heyward underwent an MRI that showed inflammation in his right shoulder. He had a cortisone injection, but still went on the D.L. The problem was a nagging one throughout the 2011 season.

After the 2011 season, yet another MRI simply showed inflammation around his shoulder. The exam focused on his cervical spine area to make sure he was not dealing with any ailments that were causing him discomfort. The results of the exam were negative and that Jason did not need to undergo any kind surgical procedure.

He was put on a maintenance and stretching program to strengthen the shoulder. He dieted (little or no steak, lots of fruit and vegetables), becoming leaner. And he worked out harder than he ever had.

April 23-May 17, 2013: Heyward had an appendectomy, going on the D.L. after the surgery.

August 20-September 20, 2013: Justin sustained two jaw fractures when he was struck in the face by a pitch from Mets' pitcher Jonathan Niese. He underwent surgery the next day. He was on the D.L. most of the rest of the season.

Heyward was beaned by a 90 mph fastball. The impact made a loud noise, and the crowd groaned as Heyward crumpled to the ground.

He stayed down on his back for about three minutes before getting helped to his feet. Heyward walked slowly off the field under his own power, escorted by a trainer.

September 11, 2013: Heyward had the restrictive band and braces removed from his mouth.

May 8-20, 2017: The Cubs placed Heyward on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to May 6, with a sprained finger on his right hand.

June 22-July 4, 2017: Jason was on the DL with left hand abrasion.

May 8-18, 2018: Jason was on the DL with concussion. 

August 31-September 16, 2018: Heyward was on the DL with right hamstring tightness.

August 14, 2019: Heyward is considered day-to-day after being scratched from the Cubs' lineup due to left knee inflammation. Heyward said he doesn't know exactly when he sustained the injury, but he felt pain for the first time when he got out of bed in the middle of the night following the 4-2 loss to the Phillies.

"The situation was I tried to get out of bed, go to move my knee, and got a kind of locked-up feeling," Heyward said. "Sharp pain [in the] front of my knee. So I would go to extend it and bend it, and get a sharp pain like that. It's nothing ligament-wise, so just rest."

Sept 7, 2020: Cubs manager David Ross took no chances when outfielder Jason Heyward complained of shortness of breath and light-headedness during the game against the Cardinals. And by morning, Ross was encouraged by the feedback from Heyward and the team's medical staff about the veteran's recovery from the episode.

"I talked to him. He seems to be feeling much better," Ross said prior to the game against the Cardinals. "Lots of tests run last night at the hospital pretty late. He'll have the day off today."

Ross noted that Heyward will go through additional tests, when the Cubs welcome the Reds to Wrigley Field for a three-game series. The manager declined to address the specific nature of Heyward's condition, but the manager expressed in general that the Cubs have not had any positive COVID-19 tests to date.

"I can tell you that," Ross said.

May 9, 2021: Ross noted that Cubs right fielder Jason Heyward exited with a right hand injury. Heyward had a little hand thing pop up there at the end," Ross said. "Something's going on. Doctors are checking out his hand."

May 20-June 5, 2021: Jason was on the IL with left hammy strain.

Aug 4-15, 2021: Jason was on the IL with left index finger inflammation.

Sept 14, 2021: Jason was on the IL with concussion.

Sept 21-Oct 5, 2021: Jason was on the IL with concussion.

May 17-June 1, 2022: Jason was on the IL.

June 27-Nov 10, 2022: Jason was on the IL with right knee inflammation.

April 3-May 17, 2024: The Dodgers announced that outfielder Jason Heyward has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to lower back tightness.

April 15, 2024: Heyward suffered a setback during his recovery from a lower back issue that has been affecting him since Spring Training. The Dodgers were initially hopeful that Heyward would only miss the minimum amount of games, but the veteran outfielder will now miss at least another week. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Heyward will need a rehab assignment whenever he does get cleared to resume baseball activities.

July 5-21, 2024: Jason was on the IL with left knee bone bruise. Heyward underwent an MRI on his left knee which revealed the bone bruise. Though Heyward is on the injured list, that was good news for the outfielder and the Dodgers as he’s not expected to miss significant time, as was initially feared.

April 19-29, 2025: Jason was on the IL with left knee inflammation.